


What happens in Vegas sometimes doesn't stay in Vegas

by cookiesandcream91



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Grimmnel - Freeform, ginran - Freeform, ulquihime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2020-10-24 23:15:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 35,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20714165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cookiesandcream91/pseuds/cookiesandcream91
Summary: A story in which Grimmjow, Nel, Gin, and Rangiku conspire together on going on a 5-day Las Vegas trip with Ulquiorra and Orihime  in order to get them to sleep with each other. Main pairing UlquiHime, side pairings GrimmNel & GinRan. [Set two and a half years after the war].





	1. The Plan

Gin took a sip of his Sake while staring up at the beautiful night sky. It was probably near midnight as the chirps of crickets grew louder. The bright moon illuminated over the area, providing a unique and beautiful lighting. He loved this tranquility… 

Hearing the water splash, he looked down at the beauty coming out of the pool. 

Rangiku wore a white two-piece bikini and Gin couldn’t help but smile wider as the water trickled down her body; from between her large breasts to her lower body. The white bikini left nothing to the imagination and he admired how he never got tired of admiring her. 

“See something you like?” she teased, watching as his gaze never left her body. 

Gin chuckled and grabbed her hand, gently pulling her down onto his lap. Rangiku grabbed the alcohol bottle from his hand and took a sip, moaning as she felt him press kisses right by her wet breasts. Finishing the drink, she placed it on the glass table next to them and then cupped his face. He was shirtless, wearing just black trunks, and Rangiku traced a finger over his bare chest by a scar Aizen had left after finding out that Gin had betrayed him. That was the day she thought she had lost him forever. 

“Where did that smile go?” Gin asked, grabbing her chin and pulling her head up. 

Rangiku was no young girl, but seeing him open his eyes slightly made her heart pound faster and face flush. Forgetting about the past, she smiled at him again and shifted on his lap so her chest touched his. She cupped his face again and gave him a long kiss. His long arms wrapped around her frame tightly, and the action aroused her more. 

Soul Society giving her two-months off as vacation was one of the best things she could have asked for. Despite Gin betraying Aizen during the war, the ex-shinigami refused to go back to Soul Society and be a captain again. Instead, he followed Urahara’s path and decided to live in the human world. But instead of selling candy though, Gin had decided to open his own business in technology, something Rangiku had found interesting. The company worked closely with the Japanese military in regard to classified bioweapons. Rangiku was proud of the achievements he earned in the Human World and always enjoyed staying in his luxurious four-bedroom home, the pool becoming her favorite part of course. 

“Oi, get a room you two!” the shinigami pulled away and turned her head, gasping as she saw Grimmjow and Nel approach them. 

“I don’t want to catch you two having sex by the pool again,” Grimmjow stated dryly, sitting down on an empty reclining pool chair. 

Rangiku blushed and sat next to Gin, lacing her fingers with his. She watched with a warm smile as Nel sat on Grimmjow’s lap, using her cellphone’s camera as a mirror in order to fix her hair. If someone had told Rangiku three years ago that she would be enjoying life in the human world with Gin and a few ex-Espadas, she would have laughed and called it impossible; that no such thing would be possible. But here she was, enjoying a nice beautiful night with Gin and a few ex-Espadas. 

A couple of months after Gin had opened his business, he had offered some positions to Nel and Grimmjow, as the two had nothing to do in an empty Las Noches. The blue-haired Espada had been hesitant at first, but after some convincing (by Nel, of course), he put on one of Urahara’s Gigais and gave it a try. And while he detested how humans whined about the traffic, their spouses, their kids, and sometimes even about their lives, Grimmjow enjoyed the freedom it gave him. He enjoyed it so much to the point that he only visited Hueco Mundo whenever he felt like fighting someone but primarily stayed in Gin’s home, sharing a room with Nel. 

“How was the movie?” Rangiku asked.

“It was beautiful!” Nel exclaimed while Grimmjow scuffed. 

“It was stupid. I don’t even remember what it was about.”

“That’s because you fell asleep throughout it!” Nel said, giving him a pinch on his arm. 

“Ah, Grimmjow I figured you would like romantic movies.” Gin said with a teasing tone, earning a glare from the former Espada.

“I watch that crap because of her,” he replied, wrapping an arm around Nel. 

The sound of the garage gate opening was heard, and the four turned their heads as they saw a black Mercedes Benz SUV pull in. The vehicle stopped in front of the garage door and the black gates behind it began to close. Rangiku watched as Ulquiorra stepped out of the vehicle wearing black slacks with a gray button-down shirt and black overcoat. He was the third, and final, Espada Gin had convinced to come over from Hueco Mundo and into the world of the living. Rangiku wondered how Gin had managed to convince the emotionless man to come over, considering he considered humans as nothing more than trash. However, one thing she was certain of was that he had probably leveraged Orihime somehow considering she once caught her young friend texting Ulquiorra (she still had to ask her how she even managed to get Ulquiorra’s number and have text conversations with him). And although Ulquiorra had arrived one year after Grimmjow and Nel, he had picked up on Gin’s business the fastest, providing Gin with better ideas and even designing some of the bioweapons himself. 

“Oi, you’ve been ignoring my calls!” Grimmjow yelled, catching Ulquiorra’s attention. 

“I didn’t see the need to pick up.” 

Grimmjow snorted and gave him a smirk. “You’re coming home pretty late.”

“I fail to see the relevance of your statement,” Ulquiorra said, walking away from the group and towards the front door of the house. 

“Why don’t you just bring the princess over next time? We’re her friends too, ya’ know! Stop hoarding her to yourself!” Grimmjow gibed. 

Gin hid his face on the crook of Rangiku’s neck as he chuckled while Nel covered her mouth with her hands, giggling at the statement. Rangiku pressed her lips tightly, suppressing her laugh, and stared at the dark-haired man. Ulquiorra simply turned his head towards Grimmjow, green eyes narrowing slightly, before turning back and heading inside. 

“I’m surprised he didn’t fire a cero at you.” Gin said, rubbing Rangiku’s bare thigh.

“I think he’s used to Grimmy’s teases,” Nel said, massaging the back of Grimmjow’s head. 

Grimmjow closed his eyes and leaned his head back, resting it on the base of her palm. “He needs to get laid. And that Princess needs to give it to him already.”

“Are they really friends?” Rangiku asked. Aside from once seeing her text the Espada, Orihime had never spoken about him to her before. Unless….

“I know he once had dinner with her at a restaurant,” Nel said. “Remember when we saw them?”

Grimmjow nodded, opening his eyes again. “I remember. She looked like she wouldn’t stop talking and he just sat there, looking as dead as usual.”

“Did it look romantic?” Rangiku asked, feeling hurt that Orihime had never told her this. 

Nel tapped her index finger by her chin. “Not really, but this is Ulquiorra… He barely has dinner with us.”

“He’s definitely been around her more than once,” Grimmjow added. “Remember the time he drove us to the military base for that meeting and her sweater was in the backseat?” 

Nel nodded. “Oh yes, I remember!”

“Ah, don’t forget when he bought her a laptop!” Gin added. 

“He did?” Nel gasped. “How do you know?” 

“I saw him holding the package and when I asked him if it was for him, he said it was for the woman. He may not call her by her name, but we all know who he’s talking ‘bout. ” 

“Interesting….” Rangiku pondered, remembering Orihime carrying a brand new laptop a couple of months ago when she first started her first semester of her university. 

“It’s almost as if they were meant to be,” Nel added, thinking back on the romantic movie she saw. 

Grimmjow snorted. “Ya think so? Maybe he just wants to pounce her. Remember this is Ulquiorra, the guy who hates humans. Orihime is human. If Aizen had won the war, Ulquiorra wouldn’t be taking the princess out to dinners or buying her things.”

“Actually,” Gin said, pointing his index finger upwards. “Aizen had mentioned the idea of our dear friend courting the human after he won the war.”

Rangiku’s eyes widened while the other two gasped. 

“We didn’t know about this,” Nel said. 

Gin nodded. “Aizen knew how much Ulquiorra detested humans, but he was also aware of Ulquiorra’s slight curiosity towards her. Aizen didn’t need Orihime’s powers after some time, so he told Ulquiorra that he could court the girl in order to fulfill his curiosity after the war was won.” 

Rangiku leaned forward. “And what did Ulquiorra say?” 

Gin gave a lazy shrug. “All he said was that he understood. Nothing more.”

“Do you think that’s what’s he doing now? Courting Orihime?”

“Don’t know.”

Rangiku thought about the situation for a while, imagining her bubbly bright friend with the aloof (and sometimes even cold-hearted) Espada. She had heard of different beings dating. She has heard of ex-shinigamis living in the human world permanently with human spouses and even having children. There were also stories of Quincies and Shinigamis, and Quincies and humans, dating to the point of marriage and even pro-creation. But a hollow and a human? That has never been heard of before, and Rangiku became slightly worried all of the sudden. Orihime was innocent and pure, and Ulquiorra had been one of Aizen’s most loyal men. What if one day he hurt her? Devoured her soul? She wondered what Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, and Chad thought about this strange friendship between Orihime and Ulquiorra, but then realized that they probably didn’t even know about it; and she could see why. Soul Society trusts Grimmjow more than they do Ulquiorra, even though Grimmjow is more likely to let his anger get the better of him and kill a human if he has to. In addition, Ulquiorra was the person who forced Orihime to Hueco Mundo in the first place and, according to Ichigo, blew a hole through him with a cero. 

Yes, she could see why Orihime would keep that friendship a secret. Had it been another, tamer, Espada? Then probably things would have seemed better. But this was Ulquiorra.

“Can’t believe that bastard didn’t tell me that Aizen was practically gifting the girl to him.” Grimmjow scuffed. “But if he’s trying to court her, then he’s fuckin’ failing at it. He’s been in this world for over a year and I haven’t seem him bring her home yet.”

“Maybe he needs some help?” Nel inputted. “Maybe he doesn’t know what to do?”

“Ah, and if that’s the case, then I say we help our dear friend Ulquiorra!” Gin said excitedly. 

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. “How? By having him watch some porn?”

Nel laughed and Gin shook his head. “You’re too many steps ahead, Grimmjow. I was thinking of all of us taking a trip…. That way we can see how they interact and hopefully give him some help.”

“What type of trip and where would we go?”

“Las Vegas.”

Rangiku’s eyes widened as she felt her excitement rise. She’s heard of Las Vegas before and has even seen pictures. The number of things to do excited her, and she could already see herself winning some games. Oh, and the shopping!

“And how do you know Ulquiorra would want to even come?” Grimmjow asked, and Rangiku frowned. That was a good question. The guy couldn’t even sit with them by the pool. 

Gin’s smirk widened. “How, ya’ say? Well, Orihime of course. Do you seriously think he’s going to let Orihime come to Vegas? A place notorious for bad behavior, drinking, gambling, drugs… and she’s an attractive young girl. Someone needs to look out for her… I’ve heard a lot of stimulated young men go there for some action… Can’t let anything happen to our human friend, don’t ya agree?”

Grimmjow laughed at him. “I agree with you, but try pulling that on him. Besides, how will we know what she would even come to this?”

Rangiku smirked at this. “Leave that to me. You just take care of Ulquiorra.”

-

“Las Vegas for five days?” Orihime asked, folding her laundry. 

Rangiku nodded excitedly, sitting on the washer with her legs crossed. She watched the girl ponder on the idea, and the Shinigami watched her curiously. 

“Hmm… I don’t know. I don’t have that kind of money…”

“Oh don’t worry about that! Gin is paying for everything! Flight, condo, food, activities…”

Orihime didn’t seem convinced at the idea. Her eyebrows furrowed and she shook her head. “That’s a lot of money. And I don’t know him that well. I feel bad using his money like that…”

“No! He insists on having you come!” Rangiku said, grabbing her hand.

“B-But why?”

Rangiku thought this would have been easier, but clearly she needed to provide more convincing. She knew that she needed to come up with something quick.

“Nel and Grimmjow will be there too! They want you to come!”

“I’ll feel like the fifth wheel,” Orihime giggled nervously, rubbing the back of her head. 

“Not necessarily. Ulquiorra will be there too… And Gin told me that Ulquiorra already asked him if you were coming.”

“R-Really?” Orihime asked, pointing at herself. 

Rangiku hated lying to the girl, but she knew that she had to pull every trick possible in order to get the girl to come. She only hoped that Gin would be able to convince Ulquiorra the same. 

“Mhmm! So you’ll have him to be around with. You two are friends, _ right _?”

_ Gotcha… _Rangiku thought, watching as Orihime’s face flushed a bit. Now she it was time for her to extract as much information from the young girl as possible. 

“Well?” Rangiku asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Y-Yeah… I-I guess we are!” 

“Awesome! Then you’ll come!”

“But I don’t have anything nice to wear,” Orihime said, thinking about her closet. 

She had been so concentrated on her semester that shopping was the last thing on her mind. 

“Don’t worry about that! We’ll go shopping tomorrow after your last class.”

“Actually, tomorrow I’m meeting..um..someone for dinner…”

Rangiku knew that this was her opportunity to interrogate the girl. “Oh really? And who’re you having dinner with tomorrow night?”

Rangiku wanted to laugh as she saw Orihime struggle with folding the same shirt for minutes. 

“A friend…”

“By the name of Ulquiorra?”

“How did you know?” Orihime asked, panic in her eyes. 

“I just do,” Rangiku said, getting off the washer. “But don’t worry, your secret relationship is secret with me.”

“He and I are not in a relationship. We just...sometimes… meet up for dinner.”

_ And buys you a computer… _Rangiku thought. 

“Fine. Then the day after tomorrow? We’re planning on leaving for Vegas this Saturday, so we need to act fast!” 

Orihime nodded. While she felt bad having Gin pay for everything for this trip, deep down she was excited to leave Karakura Town and do something fun. And having Ulquiorra come… Well, that’s going to be interesting. Considering she hasn’t told anyone about sometimes meeting up with Ulquiorra for dinner (or how he sometimes drops her off at school, but Rangiku didn’t need to know that), the thought of being around him in Las Vegas made her nervous and excited. When he had first arrived from Hueco Mundo, she wasn’t sure if he would have fit in the Human World, and she had avoided him for some time. Memories of being trapped inside that room in Las Noches depressed her. She remembered Rukia, Ichigo and Uryu telling her to keep her distance from him, and she did so at first. 

But then that day happened…. The day she had fallen asleep on the train coming back from her late-night shift in the restaurant she worked at and ended up in a stop very far away from her home. What had made the situation worse was the fact that her phone had died, she had no cash on her, and it had been past one in the morning. The train conductor, an old fat man, wasn’t nice either; he had yelled at her to wake up and hurry out before he locked the train doors. She had frantically ran out and the cold night air had fully woken her up. After minutes of walking around the empty train station, she had accepted the fact that she would sleep at the station until the first train ran again at five in the morning. With that in mind, she had lied down on a bench with her arms wrapped around her body for warmth. 

_ “What are you doing?” _

_ Orihime’s eyes widened and she almost fell off the bench as the familiar voice registered through her mind. Sitting up straight, she gaped at her former jailer standing a few feet away from her. He wore gray slacks with a white long-sleeve buttoned-down collared shirt and Orihime couldn’t help but notice how handsome he looked. He stood there with his hands inside the pocket of his pants, his intense green eyes fixed on her. She was about to respond when she realized something…. What was he doing here? _

_ “Not going to respond?” Ulquiorra asked. _

_ “I-I was just resting!” Orihime saw how one of his thick eyebrows raised very slightly. _

_ “I figured you had a home for that.” _

_ “I do, but I fell asleep and missed my stop… Trains don’t start running again until five…. And my phone died…” _

_ “Irresponsible woman,” Ulquiorra said and Orihime stared down at her shoes sadly, wishing he would go away. She remembered the insults during her stay in Hueco Mundo by the sound of his tone. _

_ “Come,” he said and turned around. _

_ “Wh-Where?” _

_ “Do you not want to be in your home?” _

_“Y-Yes, of course,” Orihime said, grabbing her small backpack and following him, yet keeping some distance from him. _

_ She wasn’t sure where he was heading at first, and she was ready to tell him that she didn’t want to walk twenty miles back home. The sound of two beeps stopped her from speaking and her eyes widened in surprise as he walked towards a dark SUV. He opened the passenger door for her and then walked towards the driver’s side. _

_ Stepping inside nervously, she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes while putting her seatbelt on. The SUV was new and incredibly clean. He pressed the Engine Start-Stop button and she heard the SUV’s engine make a noise. Without a word, Ulquiorra put the vehicle in drive and drove her home. Orihime had many questions for him that, starting with how he even knew how to drive. _

Orihime dug up her passport and checked the expiration date, happy that the piece of document was still valid. This would be her first time traveling outside the country and she was excited. She had never been outside of Karakura Town (with the exception of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, of course) and was curious to experience another country’s culture. She was excited about the food and couldn’t wait to try out different cuisines. 

Lying down on her bed and closing her eyes, she smiled while mentally listing out the things she wanted to do and wondered if Ulquiorra would enjoy them as well.


	2. Mile High Club

Grimmjow hated the airport. It was noisy and crowded. Various humans rushing back and forth with their oversized luggage. Kids running around, causing him to make sure not to step on one of the little brats by accident. While he found the kids loud and annoying, Nel in the meantime adored them. She adored the way the kids, mostly young boys, would run up to her and offer her a hug. 

“Aren’t they adorable!” Nel said to him, bending down and wrapping her arms around three young boys who looked like they were no older than eleven. 

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, knowing too well those brats were hugging her just so they could feel her breasts by their faces. His blue eyes narrowed as he saw one of the kids place his small hand on her back and start to slowly move it down towards her ass.

“That’s it…”

Getting out of the security line, Grimmjow stomped over and grabbed Nel by her arm, pulling her towards him.

“Fuck off, brats.”

The three boys gulped and ran away. Nel waved happily towards them as she let Grimmjow drag her back in line. 

The security line moved slowly. Gin and Rangiku searched through their phones on what to do first while Ulquiorra stood behind them with his hands casually tucked in the pockets of his jacket, eyes closed. Grimmjow noticed how kids would stare at the fourth Espada curiously, but they would walk away the moment he would open his eyes and glare back at them. As a matter of fact, Grimmjow noticed that he was glaring more than usual, but he suspected why. 

Leaning over Nel so he could loudly whisper, Grimmjow gave him a teasing smirk. “You look more pissed than usual.”

“I wasn’t aware you were looking at me while chasing those kids away.”

Grimmjow laughed in response. “Maybe you can call her and see if she will make it. Or else she may miss her flight…”

Ulquiorra didn’t respond, instead walking slowly behind Gin and Rangiku as the security line began to move. 

“Where is she? What if she does miss her flight?” Nel asked worryingly. 

Grimmjow shrugged his shoulders before grabbing Rangiku’s attention. “Oi, where is the princess? Flight leaves in one hour.”

“I’m right here!” 

The five of them turned around and saw as Orihime stood behind the line, wearing a white blouse and gray skirt that fell mid-thighs. 

“You made it!” Rangiku exclaimed and then waved her hand towards her. “Now come up the line!”

Orihime looked at the numerous people in front of her and frowned as they all stared back at her. There were at least twenty people in front of her, and she knew that cutting them would be very rude. However, she did arrive late to the airport and the flight was to take off in an hour. 

“That wouldn’t be very...nice….” she said timidly, staring at the people in front of her. 

Grimmjow groaned and stomped over to her, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the front of the line while glaring at the people she was cutting; daring them to say something. Orihime apologized to them before being placed in between Ulquiorra and Nel. 

“See? No harm done!” Grimmjow said.

Orihime remained silent and looked elsewhere but at the man in front of her. Rangiku’s words still haunted her from three days ago to the point she all of a sudden became nervous even thinking about Ulquiorra. Therefore, she had texted him the day after with not being able to meet for dinner due to too much homework, which was a lie. A part of her was honestly afraid of where her feelings towards him would lead to. Heck, her close friends didn’t even know that she had his number! 

Nonetheless, she didn’t want to be rude either. He had driven her home multiple times, paid for dinner, and even bought her a laptop. Even if he didn’t reciprocate her feelings, the least she could do was greet him.

Clearing her throat, Orihime looked up at Ulquiorra and smiled. “Hi!” 

Without turning his head, his green eyes looked down at her in acknowledgement and he simply responded with a ‘Hn’. 

Orihime frowned as she watched him face the other side. Was he mad at her for skipping dinner? She suddenly became nervous around him and wasn’t sure what to say to him. Whenever they would have dinner together, it was her doing most of the talking and while she didn’t mind talking about the strangest things to him, part of her wished he conversed more. 

The line through security continued to move and one by one, they went through the metal detectors. Once they were out, Rangiku and Nel bounced as they all walked towards the boarding area, watching as people began to line up for boarding. One by one, the gate agent scanned their boarding pass; and they proceeded towards the aircraft. 

Orihime smiled nervously as they got closer to the entrance of the aircraft. “This is going to be my first time on an airplane! I’m so excited!”

“I’m just excited for the mile high club,” Rangiku said, giving a wink to Gin.

“R-Really?” Orihime asked, causing Grimmjow to laugh and Gin to giggle. She truly was way too innocent…

“You should join that club with Ulquiorra.” Grimmjow said to her, causing the rest of the group to chuckle. 

Orihime wasn’t sure what to say, and suddenly became suspicious of what the term really meant. She took a glance at Ulquiorra, who was glaring at Grimmjow from the corner of his eyes, and knew that whatever this “club” was, was probably something not so innocent. 

They entered the aircraft one by one, passing by passengers as they placed their carry-ons in the overhead bin. The aircraft was large, with two sits on the left most side, three seats in the middle, and two seats on the right most side. A few of the passengers gave them strange looks, but neither the Shinigamis or Espadas cared. They reached the end of the aircraft upon locating their seats. Gin and Rangiku sat on the very last row on the right side, with Grimmjow and Nel sitting one row in front of them. 

Orihime looked at her ticket and noticed her seat on the very left side. It was directly across Grimmjow and Nel’s seats, and she felt slightly disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to sit near them during the thirteen hour flight. Nonetheless, upon sitting down on the window seat, she saw Ulquiorra sit right next to her and a mixed feeling of happiness and nervousness came upon her. 

He had his eyes closed with his legs crossed, his left ankle over his right knee. Orihime stared at him, wanting to make small conversation as they were now going to be sitting side by side for so many hours. 

“What?” 

Orihime jumped in her seat and laughed nervously as he opened his eyes and stared at her indifferently. 

“N-Nothing!” she said, waving her hands in front of her left and right. “I was just wondering if you’ve ever been on an airplane before.”

“I have.”

“You have? When? Were you scared?”

“Why would such things frighten me?” Ulquiorra asked, as if the idea of him being afraid of anything was preposterous.

“Well, airplanes can explode…. Or fall out of the sky…” she said, tapping her chin with her finger. 

“Such things are not as common as they were before,” he stated in a matter-of-fact way. 

“So you’re aware of airplane history?” she asked, all of the sudden fascinated. 

“Yes,” he replied casually, “It was required in order to understand the history of human weaponries and defense systems.” 

Orihime nodded, wondering why she had never thought of this before.

As soon as passengers finished placing their carry-ons in the overhead bin and sitting down, the flight attendants stood in different positions throughout the aircraft. Orihime watched curiously as the well-dressed men and women looked around with wide smiles. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to direct your attention to the television monitors. We will be showing our safety demonstration and would like the next few minutes of your complete attention.”

Orihime looked at the small TV monitor in front of her as it displayed the safety procedures. 

“When the seat belt sign illuminates, you must fasten your seat belt. Insert the metal fittings one into the other, and tighten by pulling on the loose end of the strap. To release your seat belt, lift the upper portion of the buckle. We suggest that you keep your seat belt fastened throughout the flight, as we may experience turbulence.”

Orihime grabbed one end of the seatbelt and frowned, looking left and right for the opposite piece. She looked at the brochure in front of her and analyzed the picture of the person putting on the seatbelt. Upon feeling the aircraft move, Orihime flinched a little. Where was the other part of her seatbelt?

“What is the issue, woman?” Ulquiorra asked, watching her move around in her seat.

“I-I can’t find the other part of this seatbelt!” she exclaimed, watching as the flight attendants began to inspect everyone in ensuring seatbelts were on. 

Orihime froze as she saw Ulquiorra lean towards her slightly and place his hand behind her, pulling the other part of the seatbelt out. Feeling foolish, she gave him a nervous giggle and grabbed the other piece, her hands trembling due to the nervousness she was feeling. Considering that it was Gin who had purchased all of their tickets, she wouldn’t be surprised if Rangiku had told him to put her seat next to Ulquiorra’s. She couldn’t even put a seatbelt on near this man!

Upon realizing her struggle with the seatbelt, Ulquiorra leaned forward again and put it on for her, giving her a tired look. 

“Hehehehe, thank you, Ulquiorra.” Orihime smiled brightly, feeling her cheeks burn. 

Feeling like she already fooled herself enough in front of him, Orihime turned her head and looked outside as the plane began to gain speed. The cabin lights dimmed and she waited in anticipation for the airplane to lift. She remembered being young, pretending to be a plane, and her brother carrying her around the apartment. She also remembered how he had expressed interest in being a pilot, and knew that he would have been a great pilot. 

The plane tilted upwards and soon took off from the ground. Orihime stared at the city below, her heart pounding faster as the plane went higher. Although the angle wasn’t much, to her it felt as if the airplane was going towards a 90-degree angle and her eyes widened. Why wasn’t it straightening itself? To add to her horror, the plane then rolled towards the left, giving her a better view of the city below. The plane continued in that position for a couple of more minutes, and she wondered if it was possible for the thing to fall off the sky. 

“Relax,”

Orihime turned around, meeting Ulquiorra’s calm feature. 

“This is normal.” he finished saying, before looking straight ahead of him. 

“Of course,” she mumbled, leaning back on her seat and closing her eyes, her mind becoming calmer as the plane soon became leveled. 

-

_ Six hours into the flight... _

Gin closed his book as he felt a familiar touch travelling up his inner thigh. They had another seven hours remaining in the flight and the flight attendants had already made their first round of serving complimentary food and drinks. He knew that the moment they were out of sight, Rangiku’s naughty hand would be on him again. Chuckling, he put his book down and turned to face her. 

“Looks like someone is getting a tad bit impatient, eh?” he said, watching as she bit her bottom lip nervously. He could see her hardened nipples through her tight white shirt.

“You go first,” she said.

Obligingly, he removed his seatbelt and stood up. Since their seats were all the way to the back, getting to the bathroom didn’t take long and to his satisfaction, it was empty. Opening the narrow door, he slid inside and closed it.

In the meantime, Rangiku counted to fifty, her foot tapping on the floor impatiently. Looking around and making sure no one was looking, she got up from her seat as well and headed towards the bathroom. The door was left slightly opened and she quickly slid inside, closing it shut. 

The space was cramped, but neither cared. Lifting her skirt up, she slid her panties down as he lowered the zipper to his pants. Grabbing her by the waist and lifting her upwards, Gin positioned himself while she wrapped her long legs around his waist, the need to be inside her almost driving him mad. He immediately began to thrust inside of her, covering her mouth with his in order to muffle her moans. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Rangiku felt his fingers dig into her buttcheeks roughly, furthering her excitement. And in that moment, neither cared about the cramped space and the fact that a line was beginning to form outside of the bathroom with some curious humans listening to the sound of pounding flesh. 

-

_ Eight hours into the flight… _

Orihime’s eyebrows furrowed as she felt the plane tremble. Opening her sleepy eyes slowly and pushing herself away from the window, she looked up as the seatbelt signal turned on. The trembling happened again and she held onto the arm rest frightently, wide-eyed. The armrest seemed to shift slightly and looked down, she gasped and removed her hand away. 

“S-Sorry,” she apologized to Ulquiorra. 

Despite the dinners and all, physical contact was something she hadn’t even dared to think about. She never second-guessed herself when it came to holding on to Chad, Uryu, or even Ichigo. But this was Ulquiorra… 

The plane trembled again and she held onto her seat instead, closing her eyes.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign. We are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please return your seats and keep your seat belts fastened. Thank you.”

The shaking became worse as the plane shifted towards the left, causing her and a few other passengers to shriek. 

“You are afraid.” Ulquiorra stated, studying her. 

Orihime looked down. Still gripping tightly onto the seat underneath her, she nodded as she felt the plane take a quick descend, causing her to jump in her seat. 

“I am scared,” she said nervously. 

The feel of his warm hand grabbing hers made her open her eyes, causing her to briefly forget about the severe turbulence. She looked up at him as his eyes remained closed and his head leaned back against his seat. However, she knew that he wasn’t sleeping. Smiling, Orihime wrapped her fingers against his and leaned back as well, telling herself to calm down. 

To her terror though, the turbulence continued, causing one of the overhead bins to open. With fear clouding her judgment, Orihime leaned towards her right and pressed her face onto Ulquiorra’s shoulder, no longer caring about personal space. She didn’t care whether he got mad or not, as long as the pilot landed the darn plane safely. 

She felt Ulquiorra gently push her back with his arm, and for a moment she began to feel embarrassment, but then it was quickly replaced with surprise. Pulling the armrest between them upwards, Ulquiorra let go of her hand before immediately bringing his left arm over her shoulders from behind and pulling her closer to him. Blushing immensely, she allowed her head to lie on his shoulder as the turbulence continued. 

“Thank you,” she said, loud enough for him to hear amongst the other passengers’ gasps and loud whispers.

“To feel you this afraid is truly astonishing.” Ulquiorra said, letting his fingers twirl around her hair. 

“Aren’t you scared of the airplane falling off the sky?” Orihime asked, keeping her head down so she wouldn’t have to see his face.

“No,” Ulquiorra said, “Besides, even if it did, I can get out of this gigai before such thing happens. There is nothing for you to fear.” 

Orihime smiled at that, feeling her chest become warm. Although he didn’t directly say that he would rescue her, she was already used to Ulquiorra’s underlying tones and meaning. He had helped her before in the past, most of the time without her even asking. Of course she had nothing to fear, considering he could get out of his artificial body and get them to safety. 

Feeling the trembling finally lessen, Orihime allowed herself to drift off to sleep on his shoulder, quickly imagining herself being rescued by her dark-haired prince.

-

_ One hour before landing… _

“She’s been sleeping on his shoulder for a while now.” Rangiku said, watching the pair curiously. 

Grimmjow, who was standing up in order to flex his legs, turned around and smirked as he noticed how the fourth espada didn’t even bother moving the girl away from him while reading a book. 

“Grimmjy, move. I need to take a picture!” Nel said, tapping on his side.

The blue-haired espada moved to the side as Nel grabbed her smart phone and took a picture. The immediate camera flash caused a couple of people to turn their heads towards her, and Nel gave them a nervous smile. 

“Oops, forgot to take off the flash.”

Rolling his eyes at her, Grimmjow walked over to the other isle. Walking over to their seats from behind, he could feel the plane’s slight descend. 

“Shouldn’t you be in your seat, Jaegerjaquez?”

Grimmjow smirked as he stood by Ulquiorra’s seat. 

“Just wanted to make sure the princess was fine. We felt her fear from over there a couple of hours ago.” Grimmjow said, nodding his head towards the sleeping Orihime. The girl didn’t even crack an eye open as her head continued to rest on Ulquiorra’s shoulder and his left arm continued to support her. The bastard didn’t even care that small amounts of drool had fallen on to his jacket.

“She’s fine,” Ulquiorra said, closing the book. 

“With you holding her like that, of course she is.” Grimmjow said with a laugh, before walking back to his seat as the announcement came for passengers to get back to their seats.

The remainder of the flight continued on smoothly and flight attendants began to collect the trash from individual seats. One of the attendants, a tall african-american woman with motherly features, looked at Orihime and awed. Ulquiorra looked at her, wondering what the woman was reacting to. 

“Such a pretty girlfriend you have there! Make sure you keep those boys away from her in Vegas. They will go to great lengths to cop a feel over there. They’re not shy hunting for innocent meat!” she said loudly, getting nothing but narrowed green eyes in response.


	3. Snoring

Orihime wowed as they walked throughout the airport, heading towards the baggage claim. They walked underneath the large ‘Welcome to Las Vegas’ sign and past the multiple slot machines. Passengers waiting to board their flight played on the machines, groaning every time they lost. She had heard stories of people losing large amounts of money in Vegas, and knew that she had to be careful with the machines. The money she carried was mostly for necessity - food and anything else she needed to purchase. She had only left a small amount for the actual fun.

They reached the baggage claim and watched as the carousel began to rotate, suitcases of all colors appearing. The first to appear was a large pink suitcase and Nel squealed in delight. Grimmjow rolled his eyes at her and grabbed her over-sized suitcase.

“Our rentals should be ready,” Gin said after some time, grabbing Rangiku’s suitcase from the carousel.

Seeing her large gray suitcase, Orihime grabbed the handle and groaned as she struggled to pull her heavy suitcase off the belt. Her face flushed as she heard Grimmjow laugh behind her.

“Yeah, go help your kitten over there, Ulquiorra!”

Orihime squealed as Ulquiorra walked from behind and grabbed her suitcase with one hand, lifting it off the carousel with ease. Rubbing the back of her head nervously, the sun-haired girl gave him a shy smile and muttered a thanks as he looked at her with his usual stoic facial expression.

“Let’s go,” he said, not coldly, but in his typical commanding voice.

The six of them walked through the airport for another couple of minutes before approaching the car rental facility. The man behind the counter, a short blonde-haired man with bright blue eyes, provided two sets of keys. Gin grabbed one of the keys while Ulquiorra grabbed the other.

“We figured it would be better to have two cars,” Gin said, jiggling the keys belonging to a BMW SUV.

The customer service representative lead them outside the airport and towards a large parking lot with a large sign that said ‘Rental’. Dragging her heavy suitcase, Orihime whistled loudly as she saw a couple of exotic cars parked - cars that she would only see in movies. She watched as they stopped by a white BMW SUV and Gin opened the trunk. Grimmjow grabbed Nel’s overstuffed suitcase and his smaller black one while Gin grabbed the ones belonging to him and Rangiku. Together, both men organized the back of the SUV.

“Selfie time!”

Orihime felt Nel’s arm around her shoulders as she was squished between her and Rangiku.

“We should do a sexy pose first!” Rangiku said and Nel nodded in excitement.

Orihime wasn’t sure what a sexy pose was, but her gray eyes widened as she saw both women lift their already large chests higher and bend over slightly, making their butts more apparent.

“C’mon Hime, just bend it over a little like this!”

Orihime shook her head at Rangiku, looking around and seeing Gin and Grimmjow smirk at the three of them in amusement while Ulquiorra stared at them passively while leaning against a gray SUV.

“I think she’s shy because Ulquiorra is watching her,” Nel said, causing Rangiku to gasp.

“Hime, don’t be embarrassed. I’m sure he’ll enjoy the view!”

Orihime’s face was fully red by now as she heard Grimmjow laugh out loud. Gulping, she turned to her side and smiled sheepishly. The Shinigami narrowed her eyes at her.

“Orihime, that’s not a sexy pose.”

“M-Maybe next time?”

“Fine, but you’ll regret it!”

For the next, what seemed to be, five minutes the three girls continued to take more selfies. They took with different angles and poses. Multiple sexy poses, hair on the left and then hair by the right. While Nel and Rangiku changed from one sexy pose to another, Orihime’s posture mostly remained the same. She couldn’t do a sexy pose, especially with Ulquiorra nearby. After what seemed to be the hundredth picture taken, the three separated in order to get in the vehicles.

Grimmjow sat in the driver’s seat of the white SUV as Nel sat on the passenger side. Gin and Rangiku sat in the back.

“Woman,”

The girl turned around and saw Ulquiorra motion to her to get in while the back of the gray SUV closed and she saw her suitcase already inside. Remembering that Gin had mentioned renting two cars, the girl walked over to the passenger side. Getting inside, Orihime watched as the Fourth Espada entered the coordinates to the location they would be staying at and then begin to drive off in the opposite direction of Grimmjow’s route.

“Shouldn’t you be following Grimmjow?”

Ulquiorra’s green eyes remained on the road as he replied. “Grimmjow’s sense of direction is not to be trusted.”

Orihime giggled at his response and looked at the new environment as he got on the freeway. She was blown away at the different buildings in the area and her excitement increased as she imagined herself seeing every single one of them. Turning back so she sat fully on her seat, Orihime eyed her quiet companion.

“Do you know what you want to see first?”

Ulquiorra glanced at her for a second before focusing back on the road. “No. It is indifferent to me regardless.”

Orihime frowned. “Then what are you going to do during this trip?”

“I have yet to figure that out, but not whatever foolishness Gin Ichimaru wants me to do.”

Orihime giggled at his answer, looking back at the passing infrastructure and already imagining Ulquiorra gambling and winning.

* * *

Ulquiorra was right about Grimmjow’s sense of direction, as the white SUV pulled fifteen minutes after Ulquiorra had arrived at their rented stay. The location Gin Ichimaru rented was a gorgeous two-story house with a large parking garage. The smiling ex-Shinigami grabbed a key and opened the front door, allowing the three girls to enter first.

Orihime’s eyes widened at the luxuriousness of the place. The first room she saw was the living room, which held a large flat-screen television, cream-colored leather couch, and a glass-top coffee table. Passing the living room was the dining area consisting of a large twelve-chair table. There was an opening and walking through it, Orihime saw a large kitchen. The stove had 5 burners and the fridge had two large doors. There was a large counter in the middle with four stools going around. Exiting the kitchen, Orihime walked back to the living room and saw Grimmjow bringing her and Nel’s suitcase up the stairs.

Walking upstairs, she heard Rangiku shriek in delight.

“This is gorgeous!!!”

Orihime walked towards a large bedroom and peeped inside, seeing a happy Rangiku jumping on the king-sized bed. The bedroom had a large chandelier with its own private bathroom.

Walking down the hall, she watched as Ulquiorra entered one of the empty bedrooms. The last bedroom, which happened to be the one she was heading to, had two queen-sized beds. Although it didn’t have the large chandelier that Rangiku’s had, it was actually much bigger. Grabbing her suitcase from the hallway, Orihime walked inside and quickly laid on one of the beds, smiling at the comfort of the soft mattress. If only her bed was this comfortable back home…

“Only three bedrooms, Gin?”

The ex-Shinigami shrugged his shoulders at Grimmjow. “It was the biggest house available. I’m sure Ulquiorra wouldn’t mind sharing a room with you.”

Grimmjow groaned and instead of going towards the room the other Espada went to, he walked towards the empty bed right next to Orihime’s. The human girl raised an eyebrow at him and Grimmjow didn’t bother looking at her as he answered her.

“Looks like Nel and I will be your roommates, Princess.”

* * *

By the time they were settled down, it was evening time and the six of them headed out to start seeing the city. As the sky became darker, the lights became more apparent, giving the city a nice colorful look.

Making a mental note of how much money she could only spend, Orihime followed her companions as they entered their first destination: Caesars Palace casino. The place was crowded, people playing different games. Rangiku quickly rushed towards one of the classic slot machines with Gin casually walking behind her. Gin handed her something before the buxom woman began to play.

In the meantime, Nel grabbed Grimmjow’s hand and pulled him towards an area behind the multiple lines of slot machines, leaving behind a confused Orihime. Not seeing Ulquiorra around either, she shrugged her shoulders and decided to do a little exploring of her own.

Sexually-clad beautiful women walked around handing out free drinks to the guests. Some of them smiled at her and asked if she was okay and Orihime gave them all a reassuring smile.

“Hey cutie!”

Turning around, Orihime looked at a smirking large man pointing at her. Wearing a black suit, he had a large round face with a goatee and thick black eyebrows. He quickly reminded Orihime of those Italian mobsters on TV. Walking towards the man, she noticed the multiple gold rings on his hands and knew that he was probably loaded.

“What you doin’ here all by yourself, darling?” he asked, and Orihime could quickly smell the liquor on him. It was strong and made her blink multiple times.

“Oh, I’m not alone! I came with my friends!”

“Oh, really? And where are they?” he asked, leaning forward and smiling at her.

Orihime looked around one more time before facing the man again. “Th-They’re around...somewhere…”

“Hmm, and they left a pretty girl like you all alone in this place. What a pity. Come, why don’t you sit down next to me?”

Before she could even think about his offer, the man wrapped his left arm around her waist and pulled her onto a stool right next to his.

“What’s your name?” he asked, taking a sip of something.

“Um...Orihime…”

“Orihime,” he said, grabbing some poker chips. “Beautiful name. My name is Rick.”

She nodded at him and looked around, watching as everyone was sitting while a woman dressed professionally in black and white began to shuffle some cards.

“Ever play poker?” Rick asked.

“No, a-and I don’t think I have enough money for that-”

“Nonsense!” Rick said, slamming the table while laughing. “A pretty girl comes here with no man and no money? What a shame. Sucks for the sucker who’s missing out! But,” he took another sip of his drink before leaning down and whispering in her ear. “I am no sucker.”

Orihime was about to ask him what he meant by that but was cut off when another waitress stopped by with drinks. Smiling at the woman, Rick grabbed two glasses and handed one of them to Orihime.

“I-I don’t drink…”

Rick shook his head at her. “You’re just so innocent, but no worries. I’ll help you loosen up. Just take a sip...just a little sip...and if you don’t like it, I’ll buy you a soda.”

Orihime stared at the pretty glass with the pink liquid content inside. Well she was in Vegas. She wasn’t sure when would be the next time that she would be given this opportunity to come back to this place. One sip wouldn’t hurt, right?

Taking a deep breath, Orihime grabbed the glass from his large hand and took a sip, the bitter sweet content making her eyes watery. Surprisingly though, it didn’t taste as bad as she thought it would and feeling slightly reassured, Orihime took a second sip. Followed by a third.

“There you go! Now come watch me win here.”

During her third, or maybe fourth or even fifth, sip of her drink, Rick had somehow managed to pull her body closer to his to the point that after a few minutes, she realized that she was sitting on his lap. Had she not been drinking whatever she was, she would have pulled away from the man immediately. However, after who knows how many sips, her mind had started going in circles and his grip on her body became tighter.

The lights suddenly became brighter and the words around her muffled. Her legs felt strange as well. Not weak, but light and tingly.

Something happened then, as she heard Rick shout in excitement and saw more chips placed in front of him. He took a long sip of his drink before looking back at her.

“Want some more?”

“N-No, I-I think I should g-get going a-and look for my friends.”

“Nonsense! We’re just getting to know each other.”

Telling herself to get to her senses, Orihime opened her small purse and pulled her phone out, ready to call Rangiku. However, Rick snatched the phone away from her and frowned.

“Didn’t I just say that we’re getting to know each oth-”

Rick stopped talking as he felt a strong grip on his wrist and turning his head, he saw a green-eyed man standing right beside him.

“I believe the woman wishes to be released.”

Orihime turned her head to see Ulquiorra standing right by them with Rick’s thick wrist in his pale hand. Although Rick was bigger in stature, the man had no idea who he was dealing with.

“And who the fuck are you?” Rick asked angrily, struggling to pull his wrist away from the thinner male’s grip.

“That is none of your concern,” Ulquiorra said, “Now let her go if you wish to keep this hand intact.”

Feeling Rick’s arm around her loosen, Orihime stumbled out of his lap and held onto the table for support. She looked up and saw Rick stand up but before he was able to to do anything, she watched as Ulquiorra enclosed his hand around the man’s wrist even more, causing Rick’s face to redden.

“Okay...Okay!!! She-She’s over there already, I let her go!”

“Her phone.” Ulquiorra commanded and gulping, Rick grabbed her phone and gave it to him.

Grabbing the phone with his other hand, Ulquiorra let go of Rick’s bruised wrist and walked around him. Orihime watched with wide eyes as Rick stared at the pale man with both anger and shock while caressing his injured wrist. He looked at her and she although her mind was still going in circles, she took notice of how he muttered ‘bitch’ at her from underneath his breath.

“Let’s go,”

Turning her attention back to her pale companion, Orihime took a few steps towards him. His frown deepened as he saw how she swayed left and right. Sighing, Ulquiorra grabbed her arm and led her out of the casino.

As they exited the building and walked into brightly-lit night, Orihime smiled at the flashing lights around them, already forgetting about the ordeal back in the casino. During the day, Las Vegas looked like fun city. But at night, it was extravagant and she saw why people were always fond of the place. Giggling, Orihime leaned closer to Ulquiorra as their arms now wrapped around each others.

“Where are we going?” she asked, tripping on her own feet as she looked up at him.

“To get you sober.” he simply replied, leading her towards a small restaurant.

“O-Okay,”

Looking up at him, Orihime noticed how he barely blinked. In fact, she didn’t remember the last time she saw him blink. She did remember him closing his eyes before, but that wasn’t blinking. But who cares if he blinks? To Orihime, his eyes were too gorgeous for him to-

“Why are you staring at me?” Ulquiorra asked, causing her to giggle in response.

“Your eyes…” she said softly, leaning her head against his arm.

She wasn’t sure if he felt uncomfortable or not as he released his hold on her before urging her inside the restaurant. The place only had three other customers, and the owner stared at the frowning Ulquiorra and giggling Orihime with a raised eyebrow.

“Welcome, would you like to sit in or take out-”

“Bread and water for the woman,” Ulquiorra said, “We’ll be dining in.”

The short man nodded before disappearing to the back to retrieve the items. Orihime, too busy staring at the candy machine in the corner, flinched as Ulquiorra grabbed her arm again and led her towards an empty booth.

The seat was bouncy, and Orihime didn’t know why such fact even mattered. She knew her thoughts always wondered to strange things, but was it the alcohol causing her to think more ridiculous things? Frowning, she patted the empty seat next to her. It felt cold.

“What’s wrong?” Ulquiorra asked, placing an elbow on the table and leaning his cheek against his fist.

“I want to sit next to you,” she replied, and quickly bit her bottom lip. The words came out too fast, and she blamed her buzzy self. She felt her face redden in embarrassment as she watched him raise an eyebrow. She was ready for him to say something negative, but to her surprise, he got up from his seat and then sat next to her.

“Better?” he asked, watching as a waiter brought some pieces of bread and water out.

“Yes,” Orihime said with a smile while grabbing a piece of the bread, “But I could have walked over to you!”

“You could hardly walk,” he said plainly.

Orihime shrugged her shoulders as she took a sip of her water, already feeling herself become more sober.

“Ulquiorra, how did you know that bread and water would sober me up?”

“You could say I learned a few things when watching Neliel sober Grimmjow up.”

After stuffing her face with bread and water, the pair roamed around the bright city a bit more (due to Orihime’s whining, of course). And although she had no longer felt buzzy, her grip on his arm never left and to her satisfaction, he never pulled away. She knew that if her friends were there to witness it, they would cause a scene, especially Ichigo and Uryu. Deep in her heart, she knew that Chad wouldn’t judge her. And Tatsuki...well, she wasn’t sure what she would think. But she knew that her good friend wouldn’t be happy seeing her hold onto Ulquiorra’s arm so casually either.

Once her feet became tired, the pair headed home, not surprised to know that the other four weren’t there yet. Nonetheless, it was past two in the morning and Orihime felt herself become sleepy.

Walking inside the dark house, Orihime let out a loud yawn before leaning her body against his. Another dangerous move, but she didn’t care. In the back of her mind, she didn’t care that her friends became mad if they ever found out about their secret friendship. He had been there for her multiple times.

Allowing him to nudge her up the stairs, Orihime closed her eyes as he grabbed her wrist gently and led her inside the room she shared with Nel.

“Sleep, woman.” Ulquiorra said, closing the door and walking away.

Changing into her pink pajamas, Orihime got underneath the covers and closed her eyes, her dreams filled with her green-eyed guardian.

_“How does this feel?” he asked, his low sensual voice causing her to tremble in delight._

_She smiled into the pillow, feeling his pale smooth hands rub her naked back. Oh, it felt great. On the far right corner were her Shun Shun Rikka playing the violin and flute around a beautiful white fountain._

_“Feels...great…” she whispered, moaning as his hands reached her shoulders._

_Gently, he turned her around on the massage table. The towel draped around her middle shifted a little, but the green-eyed man kept his attention to her bare breasts. Feeling nervous yet excited, Orihime bit her bottom lip as one of his pale fingers began to trace down her chest and towards one pink nipple. The music behind them became more intense as Orihime watched in anticipation as his finger got closer and closer. She held her breath, feeling her nipples perk in excitement and fear, hearing the music now suddenly grow darker and snore-_

_Wait, snore?_

_Why were her Shun Shun Rikka snoring?_

Orihime opened her sleepy eyes and stared at the clock. It was near four in the morning. The loud snoring to her left caused her to turn her head and frowning, she saw Nel sleeping with her head on top of the snoring Grimmjow. She had completely forgotten that Grimmjow refused to share the room with Ulquiorra and had insisted on sleeping with Nel, not caring whether Orihime was in the room or not.

Sighing, Orihime placed one of her pillows over her head and closed her eyes. How can Nel sleep through this? The snoring was so loud that she wondered if the others could hear him. Pressing the pillow even tighter to her ear, Orihime wondered if Ulquiorra would be okay if she slept in the same room as him. Surely he must be able to hear Grimmjow’s louder than life snoring through the wall. At this point, Soul Society should be able to hear it as well. Knowing that she probably wouldn’t be able to sleep again, Orihime decided to think about her sensual dream with Ulquiorra, reassuring herself that there was no reason to be embarrassed over naughty thoughts of him.


	4. Strippers, Booze, and a Ring

Grimmjow inspected the diamond on the ring, smiling as it sparkled brightly. Although it had taken a while to find the opportunity, the sixth Espada knew that this Vegas trip was the perfect chance for him to surprise Nel. Old Grimmjow from two years ago would have laughed at him for conforming to human ideology and culture. 

But fuck did he love Nel…

At first, she was just a good fuck. Someone he enjoyed spending time with on the bed. But then, shit had shifted and next thing he knew, he was watching romantic comedy movies in the theater surrounded by annoying humans...just for her. 

Damn did he hate those movies. Sometimes he felt like blowing a cero through whichever director even thought about creating such movies. But he knew he couldn’t do that. No, not because Soul Society would ban his ass back to Hueco Mundo. But because Nel wouldn’t have someone to make those cheesy movies again. And damn, did he hate seeing her unhappy. 

Placing the ring back inside the beautiful silver box, Grimmjow glanced the green-eyed Espada. “Tch, can’t believe I’m going to say this, but thanks.”

Aside from falling in love with the female Espada, another thing that old Grimmjow from two years ago would have laughed at (or maybe cursed at him for), would be his strange friendship with the fourth Espada, Ulquiorra. Grimmjow, who had been too drunk last night to pick up the ring from the jewelry store, had asked Ulquiorra to get it for him. That way, it would also avoid suspicion from Nel.

Ulquiorra, standing by the hallway with his hands inside his pockets, merely looked at him. “Hm. I suggest hiding it well from any of the females here.”

And Grimmjow knew that that’s what he had to do. He definitely couldn’t tell Nel. No, he had planned a time for that. Rangiku was one of the nosiest Soul Reapers he has ever met. God damn, he’s never set foot in Soul Society but somehow, he knew all of the gossip that goes around there. So she’s definitely out of the equation. And Orihime? Well, as innocent as she was, he couldn’t trust her either. The girl talks in her sleep about the most random shit. Who knew what she could say in her sleep with him and Nel right there. 

“Yeah, especially your little bunny. Ya’ know she talks in her sleep?”

Ulquiorra simply blinked at him once, his facial expression remaining as neutral as ever and Grimmjow laughed. Something quickly went through his mind, and the blue-haired Espada pulled something out from his back pocket and flicked it towards the green-eyed man. With a simple movement of his wrist, Ulquiorra caught the small packet and narrowed his eyes towards him. Grimmjow laughed at the expression, which really wasn’t much.

“It’s a condom-”

“I am familiar with what it’s for.”

“Then don’t get the bunny pregnant!” Grimmjow said, which led to Ulquiorra’s eyes widening for a brief second before glaring at the man in front of him. 

“You and Gin have been-”

And before the fourth Espada was able to finish that sentence, Grimmjow used his Sonido to leave the scene. 

_Coward._

* * *

It was already noon, a fact Orihime knew, as she rinsed her mouth and placed her toothbrush down on the side of the sink. She had woken up with a hangover, which didn’t surprise her considering she had drank last night. And to make things worse, Grimmjow’s snoring had kept her up for at least two hours. By the time she had woken up, the couple hadn’t been inside the bedroom she shared with them, which had given her the opportunity to grab her personal items and go to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Discarding her clothes, Orihime turned on the faucet and watched as the water splashed the large bathtub. The bathroom was beautiful and luxurious, consisting of two large round sinks, a modern toilet, and a large bathtub that was big enough for two full grown adults. Humming her favorite music, the girl began to wash her hair and body. 

* * *

The smell of bacon, pancake, and eggs filled the large kitchen as Rangiku and Nel took the responsibility of cooking breakfast for everyone. Nel’s cellphone played modern pop music as the two women flipped the pancakes over the stove. 

Gin Ichimaru, wearing black shorts and white button down shirt, sat by the kitchen island with the local newspaper opened. Sensing Grimmjow’s quick spike in reiatsu, he looked up to quickly find the sixth Espada standing on the other side of the kitchen island. 

Placing a plate full of eggs and bacon in front of him, Nel gave Grimmjow a quick kiss on his cheek before wondering what was wrong. 

“Did something happen?”

Grimmjow smirked while glancing at Gin. Nel looked at the ex-shinigami confusingly. 

“Ya’ gave it to him, didn’t ya?”

“Yup.”

“Give what?” Nel asked confusingly.

“A box of condoms to Ulquiorra,” Grimmjow replied, taking a bite from his bacon. “Told him not to get the bunny pregnant.”

Nel and Rangiku gasped as Gin laughed. 

“And what did he say?” Rangiku asked as she sat next to Gin. 

“He figured it out already what we’re up to,” Grimmjow said with a shrug, “but I left before he could finish.”

Nel frowned as she placed a hand under her chin. “Wait, if he already knows why we’re doing this trip, do you think he’s going to leave? What about our plan of getting him to sleep with Orihime!?” 

“Oh don’t worry,” Grimmjow said, pulling her onto his lap. “Ulquiorra may be tense and shit, but he’s still a man and we’re in Vegas. He and the bunny will have their fun sooner or later. I just hope he doesn’t get her knocked up, or else her annoying friends are going to be angry and shit.”

“Besides,” Rangiku said while pulling out her smartphone and showing everyone a picture of a leotard. “There’s a party tonight. There’s going to be drinking, smoking, and dancing. From what I’ve read online, all of the ladies are supposed to be wearing something scandalous and sexy so I bought 3 of these for us!”

Nel smiled as she looked at the three different leotards. Grimmjow, already imagining her wearing such a scandalous item, pulled the female Espada closer. He felt the small jewelry box inside his pants and couldn’t wait to pop the question later.

“With somethin’ like that, I know our dear Ulquiorra will definitely keep them green eyes on Miss Orihime,” Gin said. 

“And if this isn’t enough?” Nel asked, her body trembling in delight as she felt Grimmjow’s fingers running up her short dress.

“Oh it’ll be enough,” Grimmjow said, “Besides, I also took her towel while coming down here….”

* * *

She was confused. Orihime knew that she was a forgetful person in general. She remembered the times having forgotten her keys inside the house, and once forgetting to turn off the stove in the morning. 

However, she was very certain that she had brought a towel into the bathroom with her. Maybe she did forget it? No, that couldn’t be. She specifically remembered grabbing it and placing it on one of the hooks. 

But considering she had woken up with a headache, maybe she thought that she had grabbed it? 

Groaning, Orihime looked around to see what she could use to cover herself with. There was the bathroom rug, but it was small and would barely cover anything. There was a nice beautiful large plant on the corner, but the vase was heavy. There was no way she could carry that and besides, the plant itself wouldn’t even give her much coverage either. 

Her phone was charging inside the bedroom, so she couldn’t call Rangiku or Nel for help. But maybe Nel was in the room and she could call her!

Tiptoeing towards the bathroom door, Orihime opened it a little bit (she was now even more surprised at the fact that she was showering with an unlocked bathroom door) and peered her head out. 

The door towards her bedroom was opened but empty. Great. 

An idea popped up in her mind, considering the bedroom door was opened and the room wasn’t that far. She hoped that neither Grimmjow or Gin were nearby. She couldn’t imagine what she would do if one of them saw her running naked from the bathroom to the bedroom. While she knew that as creepy as Gin could look at times, he would probably just smile (as usual) and tease her. Grimmjow though? He would probably tell the whole world. 

Taking a deep breath, Orihime mentally measured the number of steps she had to take in order to get into her room. 

Only three steps! I can make it!

Opening the bathroom door wide, Orihime took one long step as her eyes closed. The coolness of the hallway quickly hit her wet skin as she mentally counted step number two.

_Just one more ste-_

“Oof!” Orihime opened her eyes and blushed as cool emerald eyes stared down back at her. “Ul-Ulquiorra?! Uh...I...uh….”

The words couldn’t come out of her mouth, especially as she suddenly realized that Ulquiorra’s hand was on her lower back. Her hands were on his chest and she could feel the wetness of her body soaking onto his shirt. If he was angry over getting wet, he didn’t show it. But she did wonder what was going through his mind. His hand on her lower back shifted lower, and Orihime flinched. Her movement did something, as suddenly Ulquiorra blinked. 

“That buffoon took your towel,” Ulquiorra finally said, and Orihime blinked.

“...Wh-Who?”

“Grimmjow,”

“Grimmjow? But why?” 

Ulquiorra blinked, not answering immediately. He knew what Grimmjow and Gin were up to. He knew the moment the ex-shinigami had told him about the Vegas trip and the way he had brought up the woman’s name. And while he didn't want to come to this ridiculous trip, he knew that the woman was naive and the thought of worthless humans taking advantage of her irritated him. 

“Because he is an idiot,” the fourth Espada replied before bringing his other hand up.

Orihime smiled and grabbed the towel, quickly covering herself. Despite being covered now, her face was still flushed. “Th-Thank you Ulquiorra! A-And maybe Grimmjow grabbed my towel by accident?”

The hollow simply blinked at her.

_She truly is naive._

* * *

The four of them were finishing breakfast as Ulquiorra appeared in the kitchen and of course, it was Grimmjow the first to open his mouth upon seeing the wet streaks on his shirt.

“Tch, looks like the bunny used you as her towel,”

Ulquiorra merely glared at him. “Your childish games are annoying me. Leave the girl alone.”

“You should be thanking me for helping you!” Grimmjow pointed, and Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at him.

“Helping me? Elaborate.”

“You’ve been hanging out with the bunny for what, two years, and still haven’t gotten laid!”

“And, we strongly believe that our dear human friend may also reciprocate those feelings back to ya’,” Gin added.

Ulquiorra stared at him without even turning his head. “And how would you possibly know that?”

At the question, Grimmjow smirked and nodged Nel with his elbow. “Tell him, Nel.”

Ulquiorra’s eyes darted towards her and Nel gave a nervous laugh. “Well...I heard her moaning your name in her sleep this morning.”

Grimmjow and Gin laughed and Nel chuckled while Rangiku drank her morning tea with an amused expression. 

“You must have been giving it to her good for her to be moaning your name like that,” Grimmjow said.

Ulquiorra simply blinked before turning around and walking away. “Ridiculous…”

“Hey, at least it wasn’t Ichigo Kurosaki’s name that was coming out of her lips.”

The four flinched as they felt Ulquiorra’s reiatsu suddenly increase for a brief moment before the Espada used his Sonido to exit the room. 

Rangiku blinked several times before glaring at Grimmjow. “Don’t say things like that! Soul Society still doesn’t trust him and a spike like that could have them investigating us!”

* * *

_In the meantime…._

Orihime had been in the middle of brushing her hair as she suddenly felt that familiar pressure, causing her to drop her brush. It lasted a couple of seconds, but in those couple of seconds, the sun-haired girl wondered if Uquiorra was OK.

* * *

_Eight hours later…._

The three females were gathered in Rangiku’s bedroom as the Shinigami pulled out three large bags. With the sun already set and the nightlife coming to life, Orihime knew that it was another night of “fun”, as Nel called it. She wondered what type of event they would be going to that had Rangiku buying them outfits. 

Rangiku pulled the first outfit out and gave it to an overly excited Nel. “This one’s for you!”

Nel squealed in delight as she grabbed the shiny silver leotard. “Rangiku, it’s so beautiful! This is perfect for tonight!”

As the two women continued talking, Orihime blinked in surprise. “W-Wait… Rangiku… Are we wearing those types of...things outside…?”

The shinigami smiled brightly at her as she brought the second bag towards her. Orihime grabbed the large bag and opened it slowly, her eyes widening as she pulled out a black leotard and matching knee-high boots. 

“R-Rangiku, I-I can’t wear this!”

“And why the hell not?”

“...W-Well...it’s revealing...and there’ll be people around...and…”

Rangiku rolled her eyes and Nel smiled, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Orihime, you’re no longer some young girl. You are a beautiful young lady… It’s OK to show off some skin and look sexy once in a while. There’s no harm to it, right?”

Orihime bit her bottom lip as she held the wardrobe in her hands. She did own mini skirts and shorts, but this was different. It was a leotard-shaped outfit with high-knee boots. It was meant to be sexual and revealing. And this made Orihime wonder exactly where Rangiku wanted to take them. 

“How about we try ours first and then Orihime can see how sexy we’ll look?” Rangiku said to Nel, and the Arrancar nodded her head. 

The two women changed into the outfits as Orihime stared with wide eyes at the one Rangiku had gotten for her, wondering if there was a way for her Shun Shun Rikka to add an extra couple of inches to it. 

Five minutes later and both Nel and Rangiku finished changing. Despite the outfit being extremely revealing, Orihime had to admit that both women looked sexy and gorgeous. Rangiku’s leotard was white with a shiny silvery belt in the middle. She wore silver high heels. Nel’s silver leotard was v-cut, exposing much cleavage. Hers consisted of silver boots that reached her ankles. 

Both women turn their heads to the sun-haired girl, and Orihime frowned. She knew that she was next. 

“Your turn, young lady!” Rangiku said, “We’ll be outside if it makes you more comfortable. Let us know if you need help!”

Orihime nodded as both women exited the room, leaving her and the daring outfit alone. 

_“Well, here goes nothing!”_

Taking a deep breath, the young human began to take off her clothes.

* * *

Grimmjow knew that his woman had nice assets. But the outfit she was currently wearing made him want to throw her pretty ass over his shoulder and take them both to the bedroom.

He watched her with predatory eyes as she exited the room with the Soul Reaper and walked over to him. She said something, but his mind didn’t act fast enough to register what she even said. His eyes were focused on the cleavage, followed by her nice wide hips and front lower area. 

Nel wrapped her arms around him as she pressed herself against him, and part of him wanted to lift her up so she would wrap those nice legs around him and pound her against the wall. 

“I see the sixth Espada is enjoying that view,” Rangiku teased while leaning against an equally excited Gin Ichimaru.

“Huh, guess you Shinigami have good tastes after all.” Grimmjow said, wrapping his arms around a grinning and blushing Nel. “Where’s the bunny?”

“She’s changing,” Nel said, “I think it’ll take some time for her to get accustomed to this.”

Grimmjow laughed as he walked over to Ulquiorra’s room. Oh, he had to get the fourth Espada out quickly. Luckily for him, Ulquiorra’s door was opened, prompting Grimmjow to not even bother knocking as he walked inside quickly. Ulquiorra merely glanced at the blue-haired Espada from the corner of his eyes.

“Is there something you need, Grimmjow?”

“Why don’t you come out and see this?”

“See what?”

“Just come!”

Ulquiorra sighed. He knew that if he didn’t see what foolishness his counterpart did, the sexta Espada will continue annoying him. 

Getting up, he placed his book down and followed him towards the hallway. His emerald eyes quickly landed on the remaining individuals and upon seeing what Nel and Rangiku were wearing, he quickly knew why Grimmjow wanted him outside. 

The doorknob turned and all eyes quickly shifted towards the door as the sun-haired girl slowly walked out wearing the black leotard and knee-high boots. 

“My My, Ms Orihime, you’re looking quite elegant,” commented Gin, causing the human to gulp. 

“She does!” Rangiku said while walking towards the girl. She grabbed Orihime’s shoulders and guided her to stand straight. “She just needs to stop slouching! And don’t hide behind your hair! You have nice cleavage to show off.”

Orihime blushed as the Soul Reaper pulled her long hair back. Her eyes darted from Gin, to Nel, to Grimmjow, and then to the floor as they all stared at her as if she was a piece of steak. 

“There!” Matsumoto said, walking around her, “‘Hime, your ass is looking nice in this!”

“Huh?! Wh-What-”

“Oh, don’t be shy! You actually have a really nice ass!” Rangiku exclaimed, giving it a pinch and causing the younger woman to flinch. “Now turn around so Ulquiorra can see how good you look from the front!”

Orihime didn’t have time to register the fact that the Espada had been behind her the whole time as Rangiku spun the girl around, causing her to now be standing face to face with him. His eyes traveled up to meet hers, and Orihime’s blush intensified as she wondered where his eyes had been before. But considering that she was wearing a skin-tight one-piece garment that showed her assets, she told herself that shouldn’t be surprised at the fact that although hollow, Ulquiorra was still a man. 

Their stare continued to hold one another as a smiling Rangiku stepped away.

_Good, keep staring at each other, you two…._

xXxXxXx

Tonight was sexy night at the Crazy Horse 3 strip club, and Orihime now knew why Rangiku wanted the three of them to wear such revealing outfits. Every female in the club was wearing something revealing… 

The music was loud and energy was vibrant as topless women swirled around tall poles. Orihime stared with awe at them, amazed at how these women were able to climb and do splits mid-air with their breasts out. The bikinis they wore also gave them little coverage, and the girl quickly looked away as a stripper dancing nearby suddenly opened her legs.

Rangiku and Gin led them through the crowd and up the stairs, which had VIP sessions. The VIP sessions consisted of two large sofas with a low glass table in between. 

A blonde woman dressed in a black bikini led them through some of the tables until they reached an empty table. Their VIP area was two feet away from a stage that had four women dancing. 

“We’re going to get some drinks!” Rangiku said shortly before her and Gin disappeared. 

“Let’s go watch them!” Nel said, pointing towards the almost nude women dancing by the poles. Grimmjow nodded while taking out some cash from his pocket. 

This left a bored-looking Ulquiorra with an embarrassed Orihime. The fourth Espada sat down next to her and closed his eyes.

“...Are you tired?” she asked after some time. 

Ulquiorra opened his eyes and glanced at her. “No,”

“Oh,” she said, looking around as several of the strippers sat around men’s laps. “Are you enjoying Las Vegas? Do you hate it here?”

Ulquiorra paused for a second before replying. “I don’t dislike it,”

“Is it because of the women?” Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at her and Orihime giggled. “D-Don’t look at me like that! I’m just wondering if you are having fun. Everyone else is enjoying themselves...”

“I am content,” he finally said, and Orihime smiled. 

She knew that she wasn’t going to get any more answers from him, but part of her wanted to know more about how he was feeling and why he had accepted to come to this trip. There were strippers everywhere, a lot of them sitting on rich men’s laps. Nel and Grimmjow were in the middle of throwing some money on two strippers while Rangiku and Gin were nowhere to be seen. Right now, the sun-haired girl and her ex-jailer looked like two fish out of water. 

“Well aren’t you looking cute,” 

Orihime flinched as she felt a rough hand on her exposed shoulder. She looked up as a handsome blonde haired man sat down next to her. 

“What’s your name?”

The girl blinked as her face began to redden. He had icy blue eyes and she had to admit, he was extremely cute. 

“O-Orihime?”

“Orihime? You’re unsure of your name?”

“Oh! No no no! I mean, yes! My name is Orihime.”

The man laughed and placed his hand on her thigh, and Orihime looked down at it. 

“Well Orihime, my name’s Clark. Where are you from?”

His upward hand movement on her thigh caused her heart to beat faster, and she wondered if Ulquiorra sensed something off about her because almost immediately, she felt his reiatsu spike up a bit. 

The man, Clark, sensed the pressure as well and looked behind her, his eyes locking with green ones.

“Is he your boyfriend?”

“...Ah...N-No…”

“Good. Then he won’t have a problem with you dancing on me-”

“N-No...I d-don’t- EEP!” Orihime flinched as the man grabbed her waist roughly and pulled her onto the dance floor. 

The song changed to what Nel always referred to as a “twerking song” and the man turned her around and before she wondered what he was up to, she felt his crotch rubbing against her nearly exposed bottom. The black bodysuit she wore caused her to feel the roughness of his jeans. Clark’s arm wrapped around her waist and he pulled her even closer. 

“I think your green-eyed friend is jealous or some shit,” he whispered.

Orihime looked up and saw Ulquiorra staring coldly towards their direction. She remembered seeing that look from him before, back when Ichigo had made a comment during their fight about the Espada becoming human. 

“I think he likes you,” he said before turning her around. He narrowed his eyes towards her, “You seem stiff. Come, have a drink to help loosen you up.”

Clark signaled a waitress towards them and he grabbed a cocktail from her tray. He then pulled something out, some type of powder, and mixed it inside the drink.

“Wh-What is that?” Orihime asked.

“It’s just to give it some flavor,” Clark said before handing her the drink. “Here, take a sip…”

* * *

Gin had been watching the whole scene for the last ten minutes. At first, he found it amusing. Ulquiorra’s sudden spike in spiritual pressure had caused him to turn around and see what was going on. And upon seeing a male human pull the young Orihime out onto the dance floor, he immediately knew what had caused the fourth Espada to react in such a way. 

He found it amusing at first, as poor Orihime stood still while the young man swayed his hips around hers sexually. But after the man had given her something to drink, Gin’s smile began to disappear as he noticed the young girl suddenly become uncomfortable. Rangiku sensed the same thing as she stood next to him.

“She looks uncomfortable. Should we-”

“Nah, I think our dear Espada is already on the rescue,”

* * *

Although she wasn’t used to the alcohol taste, she knew that whatever drink Clark had given her tasted strange. Very strange. The moment she took a sip, her mind became somewhat disoriented and she knew that she had to get away from him. 

“Where are you going?” Clark said, and the girl flinched as he pinched her ass hard.

“T-To my friends-”

“Friends? You mean that strange man who was sitting with you? He doesn’t seem like your friend,”

Orihime frowned and pulled herself away from him. “You don’t know him to say that.”

“Oh really? Well fuck him, and get your little pussy over here!” He stretched his arm towards her, ready to grab her by her forearm, but a pale hand appeared from behind her and grabbed the man’s wrist tightly. 

Orihime took a step back and she quickly felt Ulquiorra standing right behind her. The blonde man glared down at his wrist as Ulquiorra continued his strong hold on him.

“Get the fuck off me, you prick!”

“I was just about to,” Ulquiorra said, but not before shooting some of his reiatsu towards the man. 

The man suddenly felt a wave of dark energy that caused his vision to blur for a couple of seconds. Orihime stared worryingly at him as he, with the drink on one hand, swayed back to the booth he had been sitting on. She knew that even though Ulquiorra just used a very small fraction of his reiatsu, the man wasn’t spiritually aware. The pressure could have probably killed him. 

The crowd around them didn’t seem to notice the commotion, which gave them the opportunity to walk to their VIP area in peace. 

Although she did not drink much of the liquid, Orihime knew that whatever she had consumed was strong as she suddenly held onto Ulquiorra’s arm for balance. The leotard was becoming uncomfortable, as well as the tight knee-high boots. Ulquiorra simply looked down at her before leading her through the dancing crowd. 

Her small hand shifted upwards and then downwards on his arm before grabbing his hand. Almost quickly did their hands interlocked, and Orihime smiled at the feeling of his hand holding hers.

“Thank you….for saving me…”

“It’s to be expected now,” came his reply, and she blushed at the statement. He has, indeed, helped her on many occasions already, and she really wanted to know why. She knew that he still disliked the company of everyone else, especially Ichigo, but she is still surprised at the fact that ever since living in the human world, he has been very nice and thoughtful to her. There are many times that she forgets that he was the one who forced her into Hueco Mundo. 

They finally reached their booth area and Ulquiorra sat down, his eyes traveling up to meet her worried gray ones.

“What is the matter?”

Her eyes had been so fixated on his slightly exposed neck that she had forgotten the fact that she had been staring at him for so long. And it wasn’t his neck or how she could see a little bit of his chest that was making her stare at him. The way he sat with his legs somewhat apart, very manly, also captured her attention and for the first time, Orihime wanted to touch him… a lot. 

Seeing how her pupils dilated as she stared at him with a very fixed and determined look, Ulquiorra leaned forward on the couch and grabbed her hand, pulling her closer so she stood between his legs. He could feel her heart racing just by the touch of her hand. He analyzed her expression, and knew that what she felt wasn’t fear. No, it was something else. Something that he too felt at times, especially near her. 

“Tell me, woman, what do you want?”

Her eyes shifted up to meet his, and she felt something push her more towards him until there was only about an inch or two worth of distance between them. It took her a couple of seconds to realize that his arm had gone around her waist as his hand was fixed on her lower back. It was him. He had pulled her closer to him. 

Her hand touched his soft black hair as a nervous giggle escaped from her. “...I want to know more about you,”

“Is that so? What would you like to know?”

Another pull, his back now leaning directly on the couch, as there was less than an inch of space between them. 

She wasn’t sure what to say, as there were a million questions running through her head. 

How did you come back? You turned into ashes.

Did you come back immediately? 

What made you come to the world of the living and live amongst us?

These were questions she never asked him every time they went out for lunch or dinner. Even during those questions, he mostly remained quiet as she went on and on about life, her studies, her new perverted neighbor who was in his mid-sixties….Though, the latter did have the Espada reacting. 

As Orihime was about to reply to him, a bikini-clad stripper walked over to them with a wide a grin. 

“Hey there you two! Having fun?”

Both of them turned their heads and Orihime nodded, taking a few steps away from Ulquiorra and sitting down across from him. The woman laughed at the shy girl’s reaction and sat down next to the Espada.

“Are you two dating? Y’all look so intriguing together,”

Ulquiorra didn’t reply and Orihime shook her head, her face flushed from being asked such a question in front of him. 

* * *

Nel watched with amusement while sitting on Grimmjow’s lap. 

“Do you think she’ll get Orihime to do it?” she asked, taking a sip from her cocktail.

“Oh yeah!”

* * *

The stripper, whose name she said was Cherry, sat next to Orihime and grabbed her hand. 

“Well, by seeing how he practically had his hand on your ass, I say there’s something between the two of ya… Have you ever tried being a little bold with him?”

Orihime blinked at the question. “Well, I did once offer him pizza with peanut butter! And he refused…”

The stripper made a face before laughing at her. “You are so innocent! Has he popped your cherry yet?”

That Orihime knew what it meant and she shook her head frantically. “N-No.. we-we’re not… I mean…. We’re not...together… and he's…”

Not human. She wanted to tell this stranger that the man sitting across from them was not human at all. That she didn’t know if he even felt any desires, especially towards her. 

“What’s your name?”

“Orihime,”

“And his?”

“Ulquiorra,”

“Well Orihime, how about we try something with Ulquiorra. He’s looking very bored over there and we are at a Gentlemen's Club, my dear. If you don’t claim your man, another woman will. Now come,”

Cherry took hold of the girl’s hand, leading her towards the expressionless Ulquiorra. 

“Have you ever seduced a man?”

Orihime blinked and shook her head. Her stomach was doing turns as she suddenly realized what this woman was about to have her do. 

“Well, let me show ya’, darling,” And with that said, Cherry sat on Ulquiorra’s lap. And much to Orihime’s surprise, the man didn’t seem phased. He simply sat there and looked at the stripper. 

The stripper leaned into him, as if whispering something into his ear while combing his hair, before undoing some of the buttons on his button-down shirt and then placing her hand on his thigh. 

Watching how the Espada didn’t bother with removing the woman caused the sun-haired girl to feel an undesired emotion. An emotion that she always felt every time she saw Ichigo and Rukia together…

The song changed into a slow-rhythm sexual one, prompting Cherry to shift on Ulquiorra’s lap so she was sitting astride, each leg on either side of his. Her hips began to move over him, up and down in a circle, with the rhythm as she placed her hands on his shoulders, and Orihime wondered if may that’s what Ulquiorra wanted this whole time. Even though he kept his usual facial expression on, he still wasn’t pushing the woman away. 

Cherry giggled before getting off his lap and then pulling Orihime towards him. 

“Now ya turn, sweetie.”

“What? But I’m not-”

“Just try it. Come, sit on his lap. I think he’s ready for you!”

The stripper gently pushed the shy girl onto the Espada’s lap, watching as Orihime looked away from Ulquiorra in embarrassment. 

The blue-haired man who paid her good money to do this was right about this girl. This girl was extremely shy and inexperienced. But at least she accomplished what he had told her to do: get the girl on the man’s lap at least. 

“Well, now that that’s been done, I need to tend to other customers. I will have a waitress bring you both some drinks. It’s on me. And don’t forget to sway those hips, Orihime!”

Orihime nodded shyly as the woman left, sitting with her legs closed on one of Ulquiorra’s laps. If the Espada was offended, or bothered, he didn’t show. But then again, this is Ulquiorra… 

“S-Sorry! I-I didn’t know she would make me do this! And I’m too heavy for this! I can get off!”

His arm around her waist, which she just realized was there, keeping her in her place. “You’re fine,” Ulquiorra replied, watching as a waitress placed two drinks on the table in front of them.

Ulquiorra grabbed one of them with his free hand and took a sip. Orihime stared at the liquid content with curious eyes. Even though whatever that man had given her was bitter (and contained more than just alcohol), she still wanted to try some drinks without having to rely on Ulquiorra to save her every time some pervert tried to take advantage of her. 

“What is that?” she asked.

“It’s a margarita,” Ulquiorra replied, and she was amazed that he knew. She had seen him drink alcohol before, but mostly wine.

“Is it...bitter?”

“No,” he said but then looked at her, “But your tolerance is low. A full glass of this will leave you intoxicated.”

“Well, can I have a sip from yours?” she asked, placing her right arm over his shoulders as she made herself more comfortable on his lap. 

The Espada gave her the drink and eagerly, she grabbed the glass and took a sip. The top of the drink was salty but as soon as the liquid made contact with her tongue, she gave the glass back to him.

“It’s bitter…”

“You’re not used to consuming alcohol,” Ulquiorra said while finishing the glass, “It will take time.”

“Are there any drinks that are...sweeter?”

The man nodded before turning his head towards an incoming waitress. Ulquiorra ordered the woman to bring a Long Island iced tea, and the woman simply nodded before walking back towards the bar.

“We’re back!”

“My My, Ms Orihime. Looks like you made yourself a nice comfortable spot right on Ulquiorra’s lap.”

The girl blushed, her eyes darting from Gin to Rangiku in embarrassment. The waitress arrived with the drink and Ulquiorra grabbed it from the tray. 

“Here,” he said, giving the drink to the girl on his lap. 

The drink resembled the iced tea Sora used to make her, but upon smelling it, she knew that there was more than just juice. The drink had multiple cubes of ice inside, as well as a piece of lemon and a straw. Grabbing the straw, she took a sip and waited for the taste to settle. Even though it wasn’t as sweet as she wanted it, it wasn’t that bitter or sour either. It was a good balance for someone like her and she found herself taking more sips. 

After some time, she found herself finishing the drink and feeling her mind twirl just a bit. She knew that she was becoming tipsy already, as her alcohol tolerance was very low. But unlike the other day in which that strange man was almost forcing her to drink more, she didn’t mind taking more drinks. Sitting on Ulquiorra’s lap while taking some drinks felt very nice.

“May I have another?” she asked him, and the Espada nodded once before signaling the same waitress to bring another glass. 

“My My, Ms. Orihime. I didn’t know you had it in ya’ to be drinking this much,” Gin said teasingly.

“It’s actually not that bad,” Orihime said while grabbing the glass from the waitress. 

Grimmjow and Nel approached the VIP area and sat down. 

“Glad to see the bunny is finally putting you to good use, Ulquiorra!”

The fourth Espada didn’t say anything and looked away, knowing that it’s better, in general, not to respond to idiots. 

A couple of strippers arrived at their area and began to dance around, and even though this was something Orihime would never do as a profession, she admired how nice the women moved. She knew that dancing was a skill, and these women knew how to grab attention - both men and women’s. 

  
The current song ended and the strippers suddenly lined up. Grimmjow stood up with a serious expression and turned towards Nel, who was sitting down and looking curiously at him.

“Nelliel tu Odelschwanck,” he said.

“Y-Yes?”

“I didn’t realize how much I fucking needed you in my life, hadn’t it been for that scumbag Aizen. And you know what? I’m glad he’s fucking gone! I don’t think I would’ve had this freedom had he still been alive! Glad that fucking Kurosaki kid beat his ass!”

The strippers around them looked at each other confusingly and Rangiku chuckled at their expression. Only if they knew…

Nel smiled at him. “Well, I’m glad he’s gone too!”

Grimmjow nodded, one hand in his pocket, as he got down on one knee. Rangiku sat up straight and Orihime gasped.

“Nel, will you fucking marry me?”

The green-haired beauty gasped as her hazel eyes glanced at the bright shining diamond inside the small box. She had seen this in movies. The part where the man would get on one knee and ask the girl for her hand in marriage. Every time she saw that in the movies, she would tear up.   
Feeling her emotions get the better of her, the third-ranked Arrancar nodded her head frantically as the crowd around them cheered. She raised her arm up as Grimmjow took her hand and placed the ring on her finger. 

“W-Wow… I didn’t know Grimmjow could be so...romantic!” Orihime said, watching as the two Espadas gave each other a long kiss. “I wonder where he got the ring! Did you know about this?”

Ulquiorra nodded, “He had it planned and needed my help getting the ring,”

Orihime’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? You helped Grimmjow get the ring?”

“Must that be so surprising?” Ulquiorra asked, and the girl giggled. 

“...It’s just...I never knew you would help Grimmjow get a ring for Nel. I mean, it’s a nice thing to do for a friend!”

“Friend…” Ulquiorra muttered under his breath, looking away. 

“This deserves a picture!” Nel said, pulling her smartphone out and pointing the camera towards her and Grimmjow. She snapped several pictures with her hand placed in front, the diamond ring shining brightly. “This is definitely going on my Instagram!”

“Nel! Let me see that ring!” Rangiku said, grabbing the woman’s hand and analyzing the rock that shone brightly. 

Wanting to see as well, Orihime got up from Ulquiorra’s lap and stared too, amazed at how beautiful the ring looked. 

The DJ of the club announced the proposal over the mic and dedicated a song to Nel and Grimmjow, as well as some free booze. 

The rest of the night was filled with fun and happiness as everyone danced. 

Orihime, who preferred not to dance in her revealing outfit, walked back to the fourth Espada and was surprised the moment he grabbed her hand and led her back towards his lap. The amount of alcohol, although not much compared to what everyone else had, and time was finally getting to her as her eyes began to grow heavy, prompting her head to lie on his shoulder. 

But she knew that the party was just getting started now that everyone around them celebrated Nel and Grimmjow’s engagement. So therefore, she wouldn’t complain and instead watch as the crowd danced and cheered, happiness swirling through her chest.

* * *

Rukia wasn’t a social media person. But, there were times she didn’t mind scrolling through her feed and see what everyone else was up to. Heck, half of Soul Society had some type of social media account, including her brother in law. 

Sitting in Chad’s living room as Ichigo, Chad, Uryu, and Tatsuki played a game of monopoly, she closed her Twitter app and opened Instagram. The wifi wasn’t strong, which caused her to almost put her phone down and join the rest in their game, but stopped as soon as her feed loaded and the first photo almost caused her to spit her lemonade out.

“Oh my god!”

The rest of the group turned towards her. 

“What is it, Rukia?” Ichigo stood up from the floor as he walked towards her, staring at the phone screen as she held the phone towards him.

“Look at this,”

“Is that...Nel and Grimmjow...and a ring!? Wait...they’re engaged!?”

Rukia nodded but then shook her head. “Uh huh, but look at who’s behind them…”

Ichigo’s eyes went towards the people behind the couple and upon realizing who he was seeing, his eyes widened. “Is that….Orihime and Ulquiorra?! Wait...why is Orihime sitting on Ulquiorra!? And what is she wearing!?”

Tatsuki and Uryu rushed next to him and stared at the picture. Their eyes skipped the large diamond that sat on Nel’s finger and towards the back, gasping as they saw Orihime casually sitting on Ulquiorra’s lap. But that wasn’t the worst part. She was dressed in what looked like some type of tight bodysuit that resembled a leotard with knee-high boots. The fourth Espada’s arm was around her waist and one of her arms was on his shoulders. Even though the two of them weren’t facing the camera, the group of friends could clearly see that it was them. 

“I thought we had told her to stay away from that guy!” Tatsuki exclaimed. “Where are they?”

“We did! We even told Ulquiorra to stay away from her!” Ichigo added, scratching the back of his head confusingly. 

“Looks like they are in Las Vegas,” Rukia said after analyzing the photo and seeing the tagged location that Nel had put. 

“Wait, so is that why she hasn’t been picking up her phone in the last few hours?” Tatsuki said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. 

Uryu, who had turned away after taking the first glimpse of the photo, nodded as he sat down on the couch. The picture felt like a punch to his gut, and he didn’t know how to react. The image kept playing in his head over and over as he wondered to himself when all of this had started and why he had not acted earlier. But the main question that kept ringing in his mind caused him to feel some anger towards his sun-haired friend.

_Why Ulquiorra?_


	5. Text Message

It was four in the morning by the team they exited the club, and although joy was something the fourth Espada wasn't experienced with, the fact that they were finally out of the noisy place brought content. The human girl was somehow able to fall asleep in the middle of the ruckus. However, considering the alcohol she had drank, he had not been surprised. Instead of waking her up, he had allowed her to use his shoulder as a pillow and sleep while everyone else continued to celebrate Grimmjow and Nel's engagement.

They walked back to their rented condo, Ulquiorra carrying Orihime bridal-style as Grimmjow carried an overly drunk Nel and Rangiku used her shoulders to help support a very intoxicated Gin Ichimaru.

Upon reaching the residence, Rangiku unlocked the door and held it open as the two Espadas entered first.

"Come on, you," she said, grabbing her lover's hand and leading him towards their bedroom. Gin smirked, pressing his body against hers as she opened the door and quickly closed it.

With Nel draped over his shoulder, Grimmjow walked past Ulquiorra and into the room, turning around and giving him a smirk.

"I'm about to wake my woman up for some good fuck. I suggest keeping the bunny in your room for tonight!"

He didn't allow the fourth Espada to reply as he quickly shut the door and locked it. Emerald eyes blinked as a sigh escaped Ulquiorra, knowing that it was not worth the argument with the sixth Espada.

Walking to his room, he laid the sleeping girl on the bed carefully in order to not wake her up. He unzipped the zipper from her boots and carefully took them off. Nonetheless, upon doing so, her gray eyes opened and she sat up, almost knocking her head against his hadn't he moved away swiftly.

"Oh! Am I late!?"

He blinked at her. "It is four thirty in the morning."

Orihime rubbed her eyes tiredly before giggling. "Ha, sorry. For some reason I woke up and thought that I had school." She looked around the room confusingly. "This...is not my room…"

"Grimmjow and Nel are busy," Ulquiorra said simply, removing his button-down shirt.

Understanding what he meant by that, Orihime nodded. She watched as Ulquiorra entered the bathroom, only to return a minute later shirtless with pajama pants on and his slacks folded neatly by his arm. The sun-haired girl tried her best to look elsewhere, her cheeks blushing tremendously.

"You can occupy this room," he said.

"W-Wait, where will you sleep?"

"...Downstairs."

Orihime shook her head. "That's...not right. This is your room. I can sleep...downstairs,"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes. "Such foolishness… You will not be comfortable, especially with your attire."

She looked down and reddened again, remembering the skin-tight leotard bodysuit Rangiku had her and Nel wear. The bodysuit was so tight and revealing that she felt it become a second skin. Sleeping with it on would not be comfortable at all. However, she didn't like the idea of him giving up his room for her. He had already helped her out a lot. From buying her a brand new laptop when her very old one had given up to driving her to school. An idea came to her mind, and she scratched the back of her head nervously.

"W-Well...considering this is a pretty large bed… I think… we can both… fit…? That's if you're OK with me being here, of course!"

She peaked at him through her bangs, watching as his typical expression didn't change at all. She bit her bottom lip nervously as she watched him. He didn't say anything at first. Instead, he took off the watch by his wrist and placed it over the dresser.

"It does not matter to me," he said, "if that is what you wish, then I am content with it."

Orihime smiled before getting off the bed. Seeing her boots by the corner of the room, she took off her socks before reaching back towards the zipper of the bodysuit. Zipping the attire up wasn't hard, but the girl now realized that taking it off was a challenge. Pulling her hair to the side, she tried again and groaned, unsuccessfully trying to grab the zipper.

"Uh...um, Ulquiorra?"

"Hn," he replied, and she looked at the bed, realizing that he had laid down and his eyes were closed. She felt guilty asking him for help now. He looked tired.

"What is it?" Ulquiorra asked, opening his eyes and looking at her.

"Uh..c-can you help me take this off? I can't reach the zipper."

Orihime didn't get a response from him, but she did hear him get off the bed and walk over to her. His long thin fingers briefly brushed her back before grabbing the zipper and pulling it down, stopping by her lower back. Orihime held on to the front of the bodysuit to ensure it wouldn't fall as she turned around and looked at him.

"Th-Thanks! Um… Can I...borrow a shirt? My clothes...are in my room… and Grimmjow and Nel are...busy,"

The hollow didn't say anything as he grabbed a gray t-shirt from one of the drawers and gave it to her. With one arm around her chest to support the bodysuit from falling, she grabbed the shirt and quickly walked towards the bathroom.

She sighed in relief upon taking the body suit off. The attire had been so tight that it left red marks around her hips and chest. She hoped that Rangiku had saved the receipts for this because as cute and sexy as it was, she didn't see herself wearing it again. Folding it neatly and placing it on the bathroom sink, Orihime put on the shirt Ulquiorra had given her, his scent immediately going through her nostrils as she took a deep breath. An innocent blush stretched across her face as the clothing item reached by her hips, exposing her underwear.

_Maybe I should ask him for some shorts?_

The girl's curiosity pushed her mind to imagine the fourth Espada in a pair of shorts and the sight wasn't...right. She quickly concluded that Ulquiorra wasn't a shorts-wearing guy.

_Maybe I should ask him for some sweat pants? Maybe he has another set of pajama pants?_

She almost smiled until realization hit her: she had curvy hips with a round bottom and Ulquiorra was, while muscular, lean. There was no way his pants would fit her, and she didn't want to go through that embarrassment of even trying.

_Maybe...he won't notice?_

Telling herself that the Espada was probably asleep by now, Orihime grabbed the bodysuit and exited the bathroom. Quickly looking at the male resting on the bed, she noticed how his eyes were closed and his chest was slowly going up and down. She enjoyed the sight of him sleeping, his jet-black hair spilled all over the pillow. She took notice of how much longer it was compared to two years ago. Maybe she should offer him a haircut? She remembered giving one to Sora when little, as he was always short on cash and couldn't get one at a hair salon.

"Orihime,"

Ulquiorra's voice interrupted her thoughts as he opened his eyes and looked at her. Maybe he wasn't asleep after all…

"Y-Yeah?"

"Turn off the lights and come to bed,"

"Y-Yes! Sorry sorry…."

Orihime tiptoed towards the light switch and flipped them, quickly shutting off the lights before hurrying to the bed. Carefully, she climbed on the bed and laid next to him, keeping about a foot and a half distance. It was awkwardly quiet as she felt herself wideawake, knowing that it would take some time to go to sleep.

There was a sudden vibration towards her right, and turning her head, she saw the screen of Ulquiorra's phone light up as the device vibrated a few more times. Orihime watched him from the corner of her eyes as he reached for the phone and looked at it. Even though she couldn't see what he was reading, she saw that he was looking at some text messages. His eyes narrowed almost angrily for a split second before he turned his face and looked at her. Orihime looked away, knowing that she couldn't pretend that she hadn't been looking.

"...Is everything OK, Ulquiorra?"

The man didn't say anything at first as she heard him sigh and put his phone back next to the nightstand. She then felt shuffling on the bed as he turned onto his side and was now facing her, and she could feel his gaze on her. Maybe she should go back to her room and put a pillow over her head while Grimmjow and Nel finished their business?

"Yes," he finally replied.

Smiling, Orihime turned onto her side as well and faced him. His long bangs had fallen across his eyes and absent-mindedly, she reached out and pushed them to the side of his face, blushing as he looked at her.

"Did you have fun tonight?" she asked, thinking that if neither of them could sleep, she might as well have a conversation with him.

"No,"

"Wh-Why not? I thought you would have liked the occasion… since...you know...there were...strippers… and I always hear that men like those things..."

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at her. "I never said I disliked it,"

"Oh? So then you enjoyed the strippers?"

"Woman, I didn't say that either."

"Oh… Hmm… Grimmjow and Gin were making bets as to see how many lap dances you would have gotten from them."

"Of course they were…"

"Did you want a lap dance?"

"No,"

"W-Wait, really? Even though the women there were really beautiful and...sexy? I'm surprised they were even able to go up those poles with just panties on and no bra! Eh, I couldn't even sit properly for a while with that bodysuit on. I think I'm too big for something like that…"

"Ridiculous,"

Orihime looked at him with wide eyes as she felt a light touch on her thigh. Briefly, she looked down at his hand before looking back at him. She curled her toes as she asked the next question.

"...Did you think I looked...nice...in it?"

"Yes," his reply came, his finger doing circles on her bare thigh.

A surge of happiness went through her chest, her heart beating faster at his answer. She felt like a teenager again and a giggle escaped her. Maybe she should keep the bodysuit?

"Now sleep, woman. It's late."

It was very late, and she could see that he wanted to sleep as well.

"OK," she said while turning so she laid on her stomach and faced the opposite direction. "Goodnight, Ulquiorra."

She didn't get a reply back, but that was expected. Ulquiorra wasn't the type of person to say "goodnights", and she was OK with that.

It took about half an hour for the chatty woman to finally sleep. And although he was tired, the fourth Espada found himself wide awake still, his hand resting on her lower back soothingly. His phone vibrated again, and Ulquiorra turned around and grabbed it.

He wasn't surprised at the fact that it was another text from the Quincy. This one was more threatening, and the only thing stopping him from leaving his Gigai and blasting a Cero through the Quincy's chest was the sleeping girl next to him.


	6. Skydiving

The woman talked in her sleep, but that wasn't a problem for the fourth Espada. He knew that despite being an adult, the woman had some childish tendencies which, he figured, would never go away. Based on her behavior, he could almost guess everything about her - from the way she randomly trips over her own feet or how she would bump her head against the roof of his car every time she would get in. He had to admit that he was surprised at the fact that her clumsiness had not gotten her killed yet.

Waking up earlier than her, he had glanced at her for a while, silently intrigued at how her wild hair was spiraled into multiple directions as she slept silently next to him. Whatever space that had been between them disappeared as her body was now tucked right next to his, a feeling that the hollow doted on. But his admiration of her sleeping features abruptly ended the moment she quickly turned on to her side, elbowing him right on his abdomen. Had such action taken place while he was in his regular hollow body, he wouldn't have felt a thing. However, with the Gigai, he was definitely feeling more than what he wanted.

The Espada groaned and sat up, narrowing his eyes at her as she continued to sleep peacefully. Her actions didn't hurt him at all; it was the idea that had she elbowed him a few inches lower, he definitely would've felt that. And that pain was something no man, whether hollow, Shinigami or human, wanted to feel when experiencing morning uncomfortness due to a beautiful woman sleeping right by his side.

Getting up from the bed, Ulquiorra headed towards the bathroom in order to prepare for the day.

* * *

"Oh, this one looks super cute!" Rangiku exclaimed, pointing at a specific wedding gown.

Nel nodded, "I think we should get our dresses this evening. What do you think of you and Orihime wearing light-pink dresses? Do you think it will match with the chapel's decorations?"

"Oh, it should definitely match! The chapels can also switch out the flowers for pictures!"

Nel smiled, feeling relieved at that. She had seen how beautifully decorated churches were in movies, and wanted something similar for her wedding. Had things been better in Hueco Mundo, she wouldn't have minded having her wedding there. Las Noches was huge with an antique look. It could serve as the perfect wedding location for anybody.

"Hey there, sleepy head!"

Nel's focus went back to Rangiku as the busty Shinigami glanced at the fourth Espada entering the kitchen.

"How did our dear Orihime sleep last night?"

Ulquiorra sighed at the nosy Shinigami. "Fine,"

"Just...fine? Are you sure?"

"Yes," he replied, brewing a cup of coffee for himself.

"Were you gentle with her?"

The Espada turned his head to her, and Rangiku stopped herself from laughing out loud. Ulquiorra's face showed more annoyance than usual.

"Your questions are none of your concern, Shinigami. If you must know, nothing happened between the woman and I."

"Speaking of Orihime, where is she?"

* * *

Orihime woke up to an empty room, her body sprawled on the bed comfortably. The sun shone brightly through the thin curtains, prompting the human to sit up from the bed quickly. She looked around the room, feeling somewhat disappointed that Ulquiorra wasn't inside. Nonetheless, it felt late and she didn't see the Espada as a late sleeper.

Getting up from the bed, Orihime grabbed her clothes from last night and exited the room. She quickly tiptoed towards the room she shared with Grimmjow and Nel, sighing in relief as she did not run into anybody. She was still wearing one of Ulquiorra's t-shirts with nothing but panties underneath.

Spotting her phone next to the nightstand, she sat down on the bed and grabbed the device. Before unlocking it, she noticed the multiple missed calls and unread text messages, her heart quickly beating in worry. Did something bad happen?

Opening her messaging app, she noticed that the majority of the messages were from Tatsuki and Uryuu. There was one text from Rukia, and one from Ichigo. She opened Ichigo's text first.

_ "Hey, call us back when you can. We're worried about you." _

Worried? About what? She decided to open Rukia's text next.

_ "Hey 'Hime. I know you're probably reading all of these text messages and feeling overwhelmed. I have to say - I'm a bit shocked too. However, if he makes you happy and takes care of you, then I respect your decision." _

The sun-haired girl was very confused, which prompted her to open one of Tatsuki's text messages right after.

_"They explained to me who he is and everything he's done. Orihime, please call me back ASAP! I'm scared that you're not thinking this through and the last thing I want is for you to get hurt!"_

She finally started to figure out who her friends were talking about, which wasn't good. She had kept her association with Ulquiorra a secret, mostly because she knew how they would react. They had warned her multiple times to stay away from him (and to call them in case he pursued her in any way) the moment they all learned that he was residing in Gin Ichimaru's house.

Gulping, Orihime opened one of Uryuu's text messages, her heart sinking upon reading it.

_ "Hey, give me a call, OK? I want to speak you with," _

Orihime suddenly felt like a teenager who had just been caught by her momma for sneaking out with the bad boy of her school. She didn't need to read the rest of the text messages to know that they were all talking about Ulquiorra. But how did they figure out? Did they know that she was with him in another country? She had never told them about the trip, knowing that they would react this same way if she had.

Nonetheless, these were her friends. They had sacrificed their lives going to Hueco Mundo just to save her. What kind of friend would she be if she ignored their concerns? Orihime figured that the last thing she could do was at least call Uryuu and text everyone else later.

Taking a deep breath, she called Uryuu, biting her bottom lip nervously.

_"Hello? Orihime?"_

The girl suddenly remembered the time zone difference and slapped her forehead.

"Hey, Uryuu! I'm so sorry, I forgot that it's still very early over there. I-I can call you back later!"

_ "No...No, it's OK. I'm glad you called. I was worried about you," _

Orihime smiled. "I'm OK! There's nothing to worry about."

_ "Orihime, I saw the picture. It's concerning and brought back a lot of bad memories. Seeing him hold you that way… it just reminded me of when he literally killed Ichigo and broke my damn hand off. Had it not been for Ichigo turning into a hollow, he probably would have killed you too." _

She gulped at the terrible memories of that day, how it all happened so fast. A large hole blasted through Ichigo's chest right before being thrown downwards, lifelessly. How she tried her best to reject it all, all while Uryuu became critically injured as well. How she tried to save both of them as Ulquiorra walked over to them, breaking one of her shields with his tail.

What would he have done had Ichigo not transformed into a Hollow? Would he have killed her?

_ "You there, Orihime?" _

"Y-Yeah," she said, her voice suddenly shaking. "S-Sorry...I...was just thinking..."

_ "It's OK, I know that it's not a good memory. And it's something that's not easily forgettable. Besides Grimmjow and Nel, who else are you with?" _

"...Rangiku and Gin," she replied.

She heard Uryuu sigh before responding. "Well, at least Rangiku is there. Just...stay away from Ulquiorra, OK? He hasn't forced you into anything, has he? You don't have to get into specifics if it bothers you…"

"He hasn't,"

"...You sure? I'm asking because of that picture I saw and I became worried...especially with how you were dressed,"

"...Um...what picture?"

"Oh, I guess you aren't aware of it? Well, I don't use Social Media so I can't send you a screenshot. You can ask Rukia for it. Anyway, Nel posted a picture of her engagement ring and in the back we saw you and Ulquiorra. You guys looked like you were in some club and...it just looked inappropriate. And you were on his lap…"

Orihime's eyes widened as she suddenly realized what he was talking about. Nel had taken several pictures that night, as the female Hollow always did. Nel loved taking pictures and posting them. It was one of the things she thoroughly enjoyed while living in the Human world. The outfit she had been wearing was extremely inappropriate, and sitting on Ulquiorra's lap with it on was on another level. She suddenly felt guilty.

"I-I'm sorry… I...I...Rangiku made us wear them and...I'm sorry,"

She felt tears rolling down her face. Her friends were worried for her while she was becoming attached and comfortable to the being who caused them incredible pain.

_ "Hey, don't cry, OK? How many days left until you come back?" _

"I think three more," she said, "It's a short trip…"

_ "Good. Just stay close to Rangiku and Nel. And if things get out of control, call me immediately. I'll be there myself," _

"I don't think that will be necessary," Orihime said, sniffing and wiping her tears away. "Ulquiorra hasn't done anything inappropriate-"

"Oi, princess! Are you done chit chatting?! We're leaving soon unless you wanna go wearing nothing but Ulquiorra's shirt and panties!"

_ "What?! Was that Grimmjow!? And you're wearing-" _

"Sorry, Uryuu! I'll call you later, I promise! I gotta go!"

She disconnected the call and sighed. Now that her friends knew that she was around the fourth Espada, she became more worried about what to tell them going forward.

"Who were ya' talking to?" Grimmjow asked, lying on the other bed with his arms crossed behind his head.

"To Uryuu. He was...worried…"

"Pfft, about what? It's Las Vegas and besides, Ulquiorra's here. If there's one asshole who'll make sure you don't get hurt, it'll be him."

Orihime looked at him, thinking about his words. "...H-How do you know that...he'll...do that? That he'll make sure that...I don't get hurt?"

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you blind? Can't you count the times he's saved you from some stupid shit?! What's got ya worried about now-" Grimmjow stopped talking, before narrowing his eyes. "Wait a minute… What did that four-eyed Quincy tell you?"

"Just that...Ulquiorra had killed ichigo...and if it wasn't for Ichigo turning into a hollow… he would have eventually killed me too…"

Grimmjow stared at her for a moment before growling and sitting up. "You gotta be fuckin' kidding me… That Quincy wanna get in your pants that bad?!"

Orihime blinked in confusion. "Wh-What?! N-No...He…"

"Listen bunny," the sixth Espada said, cleaning his ear with his pinky finger in the meantime, "Didn't Ichigo and that Quincy brat get into a fight way before you knew 'bout Ulquiorra? And then fucking Ichigo goes to Soul Society and almost kills every Shinigami who got in his way from saving that other Shinigami's ass? Who do you think Rangiku's side was that day? How about that red-haired punk, Renji? He got his ass beat by Ichigo badly… What would've happened if he had died?"

Orihime didn't reply, her memories going back to her first visit in Soul Society. She couldn't deny that even there, her life was in danger as well.

"Anyway," Grimmjow said, getting up from the bed before walking out of the room, "Go shower and get ready. We gotta go and celebrate my engagement!"

"W-Wait, where are we going to celebrate?"

"We're going Skydiving!"

* * *

They had arrived at the destination within an hour, Nel and Rangiku excited about the idea of jumping off a moving plane. It was a dry hot day in the Las Vegas region, prompting Orihime to pull her hair in a low long braid. Her gray eyes scanned the area as small cessna planes landed and took off. It was her first skydiving adventure, and her heartbeat increased furiously against her chest. She couldn't deny the fact that she was terrified, but knew that this moment could be her first and last time doing such an activity.

"Welcome!" a short chubby man greeted them as they walked inside the air-conditioned one-story building. "How are ya' folks doing?"

"We're great!" Rangiku said, walking over and leaning against the counter top. The receptionist tried his best to keep his eyes on her face, causing a Gin Ichimaru to chuckle from behind. "We're here to do some skydiving."

"Well, you all came to the right place! Have any of you skydived before?"

"Hm, kinda…" the Shinigami replied, tapping her finger against her chin.

"Ok, so you all have experience! Great! Easier for us! Well, we have several packages you can select from..."

Orihime wasn't paying attention at all as she stared at the TV displaying videos of people jumping off the plane thousands of feet above the air. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad? A lot of these jumpers had some instructor strapped behind them. Surely the instructor knew what to do!

"We won't need those," Rangiku said, causing the receptionist to blink at her surprisingly.

"B-But madam, I understand that you all may be experienced… But as per our policy, we must first provide you all with a 45-minute safety training-"

"Oh, we've done much worse and still survived," Nel said with a giggle, causing the man to raise both eyebrows at all of them.

"A-Are you all...military?"

"You can say that," Grimmjow replied, getting annoyed at the man's questions.

"How 'bout," Gin finally said, fishing out some cash and displaying it over his face, "five-hundred dollars for each of ya' employees, including ya' janitor over there, and you let me and my friends here have some fun, eh?"

The man stared at the money as the tall silver-haired man placed it right in front of him. He looked at the janitor for advice, the man returning a shrug and a wordless command to just take the money and look the other way.

"Alright then!" he said, grabbing the cash and putting it in the drawer carefully. "Follow me and we'll get you all in the next plane!"

Nel and Rangiku cheered as Orihime frowned. She was not ready for this at all…

They were led to the back of the building where a wall of various accessories were in display: from helmets to goggles and even jackets.

"Pick a helmet and goggles that best fit you," the man said, "and then come right here and grab your parachute bag!"

Orihime tried on some goggles and a helmet before following the rest of the group. Her fingers tapped on the helmet nervously as she watched another TV show people jump out of the plane backwards.

"What's wrong?"

Ulquiorra's voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked at him. "N-Nothing!"

"I can sense your fear," he said while leaning against a table. He wore black leather-like jeans with a dark gray button-down. The helmet in his hand made him look like a biker, someone who rode motorcycles around. And in a way, the whole look suited him. "You're scared,"

"I-I am," she said with a small smile, "Heights aren't my thing…"

"You'll be fine," he said before grabbing his helmet and walking towards the receding group.

Orihime grabbed her items and followed him, remembering the talk she and Grimmjow had earlier in the day. Would Ulquiorra truly keep her safe?

They all boarded a cessna plane, who had one pilot and three skydiving instructors inside. The plane took off immediately after, Nel mentioning to the crew how her and Grimmjow had decided that the best way to celebrate their engagement was to jump off an airplane together.

"Our pilot is going to take us at an altitude of 18,000 feet!" One of the instructors said. "Once we're over the area, we will open the door and each one of you can jump one at a time. Don't forget to pull this lever here in order to open your parachute!"

"This is going to be awesome!" Nel exclaimed before pulling her phone out. "I need to take pictures of this before I forget!"

The female Espada first took a selfie with just her and Grimmjow. The blue-haired male gave one of his typical smirks as she took several pictures. She then switched the position of her phone so she took pictures of Gin and Rangiku. The male Soul Reaper's facial expression didn't change, considering he always smiled. Rangiku pulled her hair to the side and gave a sexy smile, giving a peace sign with her fingers. Nel then shifted in her seat and pointed the phone at Orihime and Ulquiorra.

"Smile!"

Orihime gave a small smile, trying to calm her nerves as the turbulence caused the small aircraft to tremble. Nel took a picture and frowned, turning her attention back to the two.

"Ulquiorra, you aren't smiling. Smile a little! Or...frown less?"

Grimmjow snickered as Ulquiorra simply sighed. "Is this necessary?"

"Yes! It's called memories! We'll look back at this years from now and remember this awesome moment! Do you want to look back and see yourself frowning all the time?"

The fourth Espada didn't reply to her, which had Nel then focus her attention to Orihime.

"'Hime, get him to smile!"

"Huh? Wh-what… I wouldn't know what to do!"

"Flash him your tits! That should do!"

"Ah, well look at that! He's not frowning anymore!" Gin said, pointing at Ulquiorra's displeased look as he glared at the sixth Espada.

"OK OK, I think we're scaring the instructors," Rangiku inputted with a nervous giggle, "Orihime, how about just doing something cute next to him. Like maybe putting your head on his shoulder or… Ulquiorra, how about grabbing her hand?"

The young human wanted to tell them all that that was probably not a good idea. Not because she didn't want to lean a little closer to him or touch him, but because she wanted to avoid having another awkward conversation with her friends, especially Uryuu.

"Alright, we're at our spot! Remember your levers!" the instructor said, getting up and opening the door.

Orihime gulped as she touched the small lever by her shoulder. Looking out the small window, she saw the Earth underneath and gulped. The ground looked bronze, considering Las Vegas was mostly desert.

Orihime felt her long ponytail swirl around as the air went through the moment the instructor opened the door.

"When you exit, make sure to place your foot right here and then jump! I will go first and then whichever one of you is next can follow!" the instructor said, placing his foot on a large pedal outside before jumping out with his arms and legs extended.

"Oh, let's go next!" Nel said, grabbing Grimmjow's hand and heading towards the exit.

Placing her arms out, Nel let out a scream of delight as she jumped out, followed by a smirking Grimmjow. Right after them were Rangiku and Gin, who decided to jump out while holding hands.

"You wanna go next?!" the second instructor asked Orihime, and the sun-haired girl slowly walked towards the exit before gulping and stepping back.

"I-I...think I'll just...stay here!"

"Come on, Sweetie! You can do it! Have you ever wanted to fly? Think of it like that!"

She always dreamed about wanting to fly… But this wasn't necessarily flying. It was just jumping out of a moving plane with a parachute on your back. And if that parachute didn't deploy properly? Orihime shook her head at the imagery of her hitting the ground...hard.

"N-No...I-I rather not!"

"Alright then, if you want I can strap you onto me and I'll jump with you," he said, rearranging the straps of his parachute.

"...I...no…" Orihime said slowly, shaking her head. Even strapped into the instructor wasn't enough to calm her nerves. The turbulence shaking the small plane caused her to gulp.

"The woman will be with me," Ulquiorra said, who still had not jumped.

The instructor was about to reject the idea, wanting to let him know that only instructors were allowed to do such things. However, upon seeing the icy green stare from him, the instructor nodded.

Orihime stood nervously as Ulquiorra moved to be behind her. He grabbed the straps of her harness and attached it to his. The butterflies in her stomach increased as she remembered her conversation with Uryuu and his subliminal warning of staying away from Ulquiorra. Yet here she was, about to skydive with him.

"Ready?" he whispered into her ear, and Orihime almost felt her legs give up as his breath tickled the side of her face. It was all too much for her right now. But at the same time, when would be the next time she did this? And with him?

Taking a deep breath, Orihime nodded and they both got closer towards the door. Ulquiorra put on some dark goggles, which resembled sunglasses, as she put on her light clear ones. She then looked at the Earth underneath and whimpered, too afraid to make another move. Her hands trembled as she held onto the side of the aircraft, afraid that any other move would have both of them falling incorrectly.

Ulquiorra grabbed her hand, removing it from grasping the aircraft and towards their side.

"Do you trust me, woman?"

Orihime gave a weak nod before replying. "Y-Yes,"

"Then there is nothing for you to worry about," he replied in her ear.

"Wh-What if the parachute doesn't open!? Or… isn't strong enough, since I'm a bit too heavy!"

Ulquiorra sighed behind her before whispering in her ear again. "I will not let any injury fall upon you. Remember, I can depart from this Gigai without inconvenience. You will not be injured."

Orihime felt her face blush at the comment, remembering what Grimmjow had told her earlier today. This Ulquiorra, although still the same being as from Hueco Mundo, was different: gentler and kinder to her. Smiling, she relaxed her hand in his and nodded.

"OK! I can do this!"

Ulquiorra one step closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. He leaned towards her ear again. "Now,"

Orihime closed her eyes as he leaned forward and allowed them to free-fall down. Right away, her heart raced faster as the wind blew on her face, making it somewhat difficult to breath at first. As one hand held tightly onto his, her other held onto the strap of the yet to be deployed parachute. Ulquiorra extended their joint hands outwards before letting go.

"Wait, don't let go!" Orihime screamed, a little too high-pitched than what she wanted.

"I'm still here," Ulquiorra said, tightening his other arm around her waist, "Extend your arms and open your eyes, or else you will miss the view."

With only one arm extended, Orihime opened one eye first. The sky was clear, which allowed her to see a wide range of ground beneath them. She noticed a couple of parachutes down below, and figured that they were most likely Gin, Rangiku, Nel, and Grimmjow. Feeling more comfortable, she let go of the strap and extended her other arm, closing her eyes as she imagined herself flying with wings on her back.

After some time, Ulquiorra deployed the parachute, slowing down the rate of descent. She kept her arms and legs extended, taking notice of everything down below as they got closer to the ground: roads, vehicles, and building structures.

Five minutes later and the two were ready to land.

"Extend your legs outward," Ulquiorra said as he grabbed onto the straps of the parachute.

Orihime did as told as the ground suddenly got closer and closer to them. She closed her eyes as Ulquiorra's feet made contact with the ground. Feeling themselves finally stop, Orihime placed her shaking legs back down as Ulquiorra removed the bag holding the parachute, followed by his helmet. He then undid the strap which held them both in place. Without him supporting her now, Orihime took a few shaking steps before turning around to face him, her eyes widened.

"What is it," he asked, removing the dark goggles from his face.

Before he was even able to take the thing off, he felt the woman's body crashing onto his with her arms around his neck and legs around his waist. His hands were quickly on her thighs as he supported her.

"That was awesome!" Orihime screamed, lifting her arms up in excitement. "It's like we were flying together!"

Ulquiorra simply supported her body as he watched her gleaming face. And although he wasn't smiling in excitement like her (the notion of skydiving was mundane for him), seeing her enjoyment pleased him. She still had her helmet and goggles on as she continued to express her excitement, the sun making her hair shine brighter.

Panting from the excitement, Orihime took off her helmet and goggles before bringing her arms back down and on his shoulders, staring at his face as his eyes met hers. The girl bit her bottom lip nervously as she lowered her head, their foreheads meeting softly. His gaze was on her parted lips as her hand combed his soft hair, her breathing still loud from the adrenaline.

"Orihime,"

"Y-Yeah?"

Her eyes searched his for a response as their noses briefly touched, her arms now wrapped around his neck. His hands went from the back of her thighs to her ass, pulling her closer to his body. Orihime's eyes widened in response, their breaths now intermingling, as she waited for him to reply.

She got his response, but not in words, as he pressed his lips against hers. Had he not been supporting her at all, she knew that she would have collapsed on the ground from the mixture of excitement and nervousness.

Ulquiorra nibbled on her bottom lip gently as the woman in his arms cupped his face before deepening the kiss.

* * *

"My my my…" Gin said, rubbing his chin with a smirk as he watched the fourth Espada and the human girl go from a simple kiss to a full makeout session.

Rangiku didn't say anything as she also watched, remembering how just a few years ago she was consolidating a heartbroken Orihime as the girl expressed her jealousy towards Rukia and Ichigo's close relationship. Despite the controversy this would cause with Soul Society, the Shinigami was proud to see her young friend finally find someone who cared and protected her.

"Fucking finally," Grimmjow said with his arms crossed in front of his chest, "Took Ulquiorra long enough…"

"Ah, they are just so adorable! It must be captured!" Nel expressed before opening her camera app on her phone and clicking away.


	7. Before the wedding...

After the skydive, the group stopped by a Mexican restaurant. As the group walked towards their vehicles, Rangiku took notice of how Orihime and Ulquiorra held hands. The human girl kept on talking about wanting to try out tacos and flan, and the Espada would simply tell her not to overdo it as it could upset her stomach.

The restaurant they went to was a local one with only a couple of tables. Orihime glanced over the menu, unsure of what to get as everything looked delicious. In addition, the portions looked very big compared to what the restaurants offered in Japan. Her wondering gray eyes finally landed on some pork tacos with rice and beans on the side.

"This looks good," she said, walking over to the counter.

Ulquiorra grabbed her by the elbow, and she looked up at him in wonder. "You're tired," he said, "Go take a seat. I will order."

With a nod, the human girl took a seat by Nel and Rangiku in a six-seater table.

"Someone's glowing…" Rangiku sang while sipping on a margarita.

"Huh?" Orihime flinched in her seat, blinking at her. "G-Glowing? Wh-What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been smiling a lot for the last...oh… I don't know… Since Ulquiorra kissed you!"

"And I sense a very positive energy coming from you," Nel added.

The human girl gave a small shrug, trying her best not to smile too much. However, they were right. She was happy. It wasn't a "I just passed this hard exam" happy. It was a feeling of happiness that she had never felt before. And just thinking about it made her blush even more.

"Aw, look how she's turning red!" Rangiku teased.

"Oh, I should capture this too!" Nel said, taking her phone out and taking a picture of a wide-eyed Orihime.

"You know you don't have to take picture of everything,"

"Oh, I know!" Nel replied to Rangiku, "And I don't think 'Hime looks that great in this picture. At least not compared to the one I took of her and Ulquiorra kissing,"

The human girl flinched in her seat, putting her glass of water down and almost spilling it.

"N-Nel, you-you took a picture of me and Ulquiorra...kissing?"

"Of course! You guys looked so cute and it was so romantic! Reminds me of those movies Grimmy and I watch-"

"Did you post it?!"

"Oh! Post it where? Oh, you mean online?! Oh no, I haven't-"

"Please don't post it," Orihime pleaded.

Nel blinked surprisingly. "Ok, I won't! But...is something the matter?"

Orihime glanced at Ulquiorra, who was standing with his eyes closed as Grimmjow went on about something, before turning her attention back to the two females with her.

"...Th-The picture you posted of you and Grimmjow had me and Ulquiorra in the back…And my friends saw that picture…"

"So?" Rangiku said, "You're having fun with us! Besides, they know that Ulquiorra isn't going to hurt anyone, especially you."

Orihime tapped on the table nervously. "Well… Um… The picture that they saw had m-me sitting on his lap when we were all at the strip club… Anyway, I got a couple of text messages from them today… and they weren't happy… especially Uryu."

Rangiku rolled her eyes. However, considering how some of her friends were, she wasn't too surprised at their reaction. "Orihime, you're a grown woman now. Still young, but you're not a teen anymore. And you're not doing anything wrong by being with Ulquiorra,"

Orihime wanted to believe her, but she knew her friends all too well. She knew that this was something they weren't going to simply be OK with.

"We all signed an oath with Soul Society to harm no human or Shinigami, unless there's an immediate danger and it's for self-defense or defending someone else," Nel added, "They shouldn't be worried about Ulquiorra doing anything. If he had wanted to, he would've done it years ago."

"I know," Orihime said, "But they don't like him. Well, Rukia seemed...OK with it. And I don't think Chad will be mad either. Ichigo just said that he was shocked… but I don't know how if he'll be OK with it... "

"Let me guess, it's Uryuu and Tatsuki making a big fuss about it," Rangiku said, and Orihime nodded.

"Tatsuki doesn't really know him at all. She's forming her opinion based on what she's been told by others… So I can't really blame her for thinking like that of him… And Uryu… well… Ulquiorra did cut his hand off… So I guess he's still upset over that..."

Rangiku snorted at the comment. "I highly doubt he's upset because of that. I think the idea of you having feelings for Ulquiorra and not him is what's upsetting him, especially since Ulquiorra was our enemy just a few years ago."

Orihime blinked at that narrative. "B-But Uryu is my best friend! I don't think he sees me that way-"

"Orihime," Rangiku interrupted, her tone now serious, "Uryu sees you more than just a friend. I'm sure he was heartbroken over you liking Ichigo, but then thought that maybe he had a chance once he saw Ichigo and Rukia together...Only to then be heartbroken again when seeing that picture of you and Ulquiorra."

She pressed her lips in a thin line as she thought about the last couple of years, starting from the day she left Hueco mundo. Her friendship with Uryuu had remained the same. There were times they would go for ice cream, or even go shopping. Never during that time had he expressed any interest in her. Of course, there were the times he would spontaneously show up at her house and surprise her with food. And the times where he would take her out to the movies. But none of that actually meant that he harbors romantic feelings for her.

"I think you may have to be careful how you act around him," Nel said with a small smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, one thing I've seen a lot in movies is how someone can, accidentally, give someone else mixed signals,"

"B-But… I wasn't giving him mixed signals…"

Rangiku gave her an 'are you serious' look while Nel shook her head.

"'Hime, I'm going to have you test something out," Rangiku said, and the girl listened. "Text him right now."

"Why?"

"Just do it,"

"But what should I say?"

"Hm, just say 'Hey Uryuu', and leave it at that. Go do it."

Orihime scratched the side of her head skeptically, grabbing her phone and opening a brand new text message. "...I don't know…"

"Let me do it for you," Nel said, grabbing her phone and texting away. Orihime stared with wide eyes as Nel giggled before handing her the phone back.

Orihime looked at the sent message, her eyebrows raising as she read the text Nel sent, which read _"Hey there! How are you doing? Miss you!"_

The 'miss you' made her uncomfortable - it was something she wouldn't really say to her friends, aside from Rukia of course. But to her male friends? Well, mentally she had said it when thinking about Ichigo back when her feelings for him were strong.

"Oi Princess, what's with the face!? Watching porn or something?"

Orihime almost dropped her phone on the table as Grimmjow, Gin, and Ulquiorra sat down with them. The blue-haired Espada placed a large glass of beer in the center as a waitress placed six 16-ounce cups in front of them. She proceeded to fill all of their glasses with the alcoholic drink. Once she was done, Gin raised his glass.

"Cheers to Nel and Grimmjow and their new future!" he said with his arm raised, and Rangiku, Orihime, Grimmjow, and Nel raised their cups and clinked their glasses together.

"You didn't raise your glass, Ulquiorra!" Nel said, causing the fourth Espada to raise an eyebrow at her.

"I fail to see the purpose," he said, taking a long sip from the beer.

"Maybe we should toast for something he sees purpose for," Rangiku said with a smirk, "Cheers for Ulquiorra finally making a move!"

Nel, Grimmjow, and Gin tapped their glasses against hers as they cheered over that. Orihime, face flushed, looked away as she heard Ulquiorra exhale.

Their food arrived shortly, Orihime eagerly eating her tacos.

Three Espadas, two shinigamis, and one human girl eating at a Mexican restaurant. Gin had known the risks when pledging his allegiance to Aizen; and he also knew what would have happened had Aizen known earlier of his traitorous ways. Yet despite that, he had taken the risk and accepted whatever fate life would throw at him, as long as his Rangiku was out of harm's way.

He turned his head and glanced at the beautiful woman, remembering how close she had been to losing him. The tears she shed for him during the war made him realize that she needed him as much as he needed her. How she had stayed by his side in Urahara's place until he got better. He hated seeing her cry like that, and vowed to change things up and make her happy.

She was talking to Nel about the dresses for tomorrow, and he wondered when she would be ready. Marriages in Soul Society weren't uncommon; and while laying on the futon of Urahara's shop during recovery, he had thought about. What would life be like if they started new?

"What do you think?"

Gin stared at the screen as Rangiku placed the smartphone in front of him. The display on the gadget showed a model with long braided hair.

"I think this hairstyle will suit Nel the best! And 'Hime and I can leave our hair straight with a single flower to the side. 'Hime, what do you think?"

The human girl, who had been concentrating on her tacos, looked up and gave a nod of approval. "Looks beautiful! When should we get our hair done?"

"Tomorrow morning! I will call the salon and ask them to have someone come in," Rangiku replied, "And to save time, all of us can go together to get our outfits today!"

Grimmjow groaned in his seat as he knew what was next; shopping.

* * *

Upon finishing their lunch, the six of them headed towards the mall. The building was four stories tall, and Orihime already knew that the dress for tomorrow would leave a dent in her wallet.

They walked into the first store, and Rangiku quickly had Grimmjow go elsewhere; citing that the groom was not supposed to see the bride before the wedding.

"Tch, whatever," the blue-haired Espada said as he walked towards the opposite side of the store, staring at the tuxedos.

"So Nel will wear white, and 'Hime and I will wear teal! This color will match with Nel's hair for sure! 'Hime, come grab a dress and try it on,"

"Coming!" Orihime said as she looked at the different styled dresses. As she flipped through them, her eyes landed on one that she knew would fit her curves the best. It was strapless, with the bottom reaching her thighs. She touched the silky fabric, noting how this was the first time she has touched something so rich and smooth. Grabbing the dress off the rack, her eyes traveled towards the price tag and widened at seeing the numbers. She knew that such a beautiful dress made from rich fabric wasn't going to be cheap.

Sighing in defeat, Orihime was ready to place the gorgeous dress back until a pale hand stopped her, and she immediately felt Ulquiorra's presence right behind her. He lowered his head down a bit so his lips were near her ear, and she could feel the butterflies in her stomach stirring up again.

Ulquiorra pulled the dress back out before casually whispering in her ear. "I believe this suits you,"

"I-It is beautiful...and the material feels nice...b-but I can get something else!"

His emerald eyes narrowed slightly, and she knew that he already sensed that something was off. "Clearly you favor this one. I fail to see the reasoning behind your change of mind,"

She gave him a weak smile, "W-Well...I think I can find something less pricey around here! I'm sure I can!"

Ulquiorra simply blinked at her as she laughed nervously, mentally telling herself that everything in the store just looked expensive and most likely, she couldn't afford any of it. Renting the dress would still save her a couple of bucks, but still not low enough for her to afford.

"I see," he finally said before grabbing the dress and her arm, pulling her towards the dressing room area. "You will try this on-"

"B-But-"

"-And will show it to me when you're finished,"

He closed the door to the room and waited outside, ignoring the curious stares being given by women nearby.

In the meantime, a puzzled Orihime unzipped the dress before removing her clothing. The dress was extremely soft, and she held it with gentle care as she put it on. It hugged her body almost too perfectly, as if made for her. She twirled around, using the mirror in front to check the back of the dress. She always knew that her ass was larger than average (Chizuru made sure to let her know on several touchy occasions), but the dress made it extremely obvious. Nonetheless, it was a gorgeous dress and it sucked that it was something beyond her budget.

"Woman,"

"Oh, right! Sorry!"

Opening the door wide, she met Ulquiorra's calculating gaze as he took in her appearance. He took a step closer, touching her side and feeling her body give a slight tremble.

"How does it look?"

He leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Tempting,"

His response, although one word, had her blushing. Her innocence didn't keep her from not understanding what he meant. In addition, it didn't stop her from wondering what else Ulquiorra had in mind.

The group continued shopping for the next couple of hours, Rangiku making sure Grimmjow didn't glance at Nel's dress the whole time. After purchasing the outfit, jewelry, and shoes, the women went their separate ways for a spa.

The spa appointment started with a facial, followed by a mani and pedi. The three of them sat comfortably on the leather chairs with their manicured hands out as the three workers cleaned and painted their toe nails.

"Try to stay still, sweety," the kind woman said to Orihime as she used the pumice stone on the back of her foot.

"Haha, s-sorry! I'm just very ticklish!"

"Let's hope Ulquiorra isn't a foot guy," Rangiku said, causing Nel to laugh out loud.

"I highly doubt that," Nel said after calming down, "But Orihime would know better,"

The human girl looked at them with a confused look, "I don't think he's a foot guy...but...I haven't asked,"

"I say he's a breast and ass guy," Rangiku said confidently, Nel nodding in agreement, "I've seen the way he looks at you. I'm assuming you two are official now?"

"Official...as in...girlfriend and boyfriend?" Orihime asked.

"Of course! Are you and Ulquiorra officially together?"

"Um..w-well… I...we haven't talked about that…"

"I would assume so. He's been buying everything for you, even tomorrow's dress. I'd say that at this point, you two should just get it on."

"Get it on?"

"Have sex," Rangiku said sternly, "You're in Vegas, which I think is the perfect place for taking that step. None of your friends are here to stop you, and we won't judge you for it. You and Ulquiorra aren't strangers."

"I don't know if I'm ready," Orihime said, "I wouldn't know...what to do…"

"It'll come naturally," Nel said in a sisterly voice.

Orihime gave a slow nod as she quickly eyed the woman finishing painting her toenails. Once the woman turned back to get a different colored nail polish, the human girl eyed her two friends.

"Will it hurt? The first time?"

Nel and Rangiku glanced at each other, thinking of how to answer. The two of them had lived for so many years that they barely remembered how their first time felt. Nonetheless, considering Orihime was just human and Ulquiorra wasn't, her experience could vary greatly.

"Possibly," Rangiku answered, "But I'm sure Ulquiorra will understand and be gentle. Intimacy is more than just sex - it's also knowing what the other person likes. The first time may not be the most magical, and that's OK as long as there's understanding and compassion."

With a nod, Orihime leaned back and wondered how Ulquiorra would be as a lover. He must know that she was a virgin and wouldn't know what to do. But what about him? The sudden thought crashed into her head: was Ulquiorra a virgin? Orihime doubted. He was many decades old - he had to have at least slept once in Hueco Mundo. The question nagged her as the woman came back and finished her toe nails. He was so aloof and cold during Hueco Mundo that she doubted he even considered any female - nonetheless, there was still a lot she didn't know of him. And as much as she wanted to know about his sexual history, she wondered how to even ask him.

* * *

When they arrived home, the men were not home. Orihime took the opportunity to take a long shower without having her towel stolen again by Grimmjow. Afterwards, she laid on her bed as Nel put away her wedding dress.

"Are you excited for tomorrow?" Orihime asked, sitting up.

"Yes! I've always dreamt about this moment. I can't wait to see Grimmy's face when he sees me!"

"I'm sure he'll-"

"Give her a good fucking," came Grimmjow's rough voice as he entered the room. His hair was rustled as his tired blue eyes looked at them.

Orihime, already used to his way of speaking, simply smiled as Nel wrapped her arms around him.

"You're back! Where did you go?"

"Hueco Mundo. I finally convinced that green eyed bastard to a match,"

"Did you win?!"

Grimmjow groaned, "No… Fucker has two releases… But I gave him a good fight. Oi princess, you should go see him,"

"Oh, he's probably tired! He probably wants some privacy-OUCH! Wait, Grimmjow-"

"You're so dense, Princes… Go away, I want to fuck my woman,"

With a strong but not rough push, Grimmjow escorted the human girl out of the room before shutting the door in her face. She was about to knock and demand to be let in in order to grab her cellphone charger, but stopped midway as Nel's giggles and moans were heard. Knowing better than to disturb those two, Orihime walked away before her ears could catch the sound of bodies clapping and Nel screaming.

The door to Ulquiorra's room was wide opened, as if inviting her over. And as she did, she remembered the earlier conversation with Nel and Rangiku. What was Ulquiorra to her now? Boyfriend? Did he even want that type of relationship?

Peering into his room, she noticed how it was empty but quickly figured that he was in the bathroom by the sound of the shower running. She walked inside and gently closed the bedroom door, figuring that maybe he would want some privacy when coming out. As she sat on the bed and waited for him to come out, her phone rang. Her eyes widened in surprise as Uryu's name appeared.

For a moment she hesitated, wondering if the moment was right for them to speak. But she knew that wouldn't be fair to him, especially after the text Nel sent to him through her phone.

_I'll just talk to him for a few minutes…_

Orihime accepted the call and placed the phone by her ear, "Hi Uryu!"

_ "Hey there. I saw your text and wanted to speak with you…" _

Orihime felt uncomfortable as her mind raced in what to say.

_ "I miss you too, Orihime. I can't wait until you're back," _

"Um..haha...yeah...I'm excited to go home...and see my apartment,"

Uryu chuckled at the other end of the line, _"What time will your flight be arriving? I can pick you up and take you home,"_

"Um...Hmmm… I don't remember. I'll have to check with Rangiku once she's free. I think she's with Gin,"

_ "Nel's not there with you?" _

"No, she's in the room with Grimmjow...busy…"

_ "Ah, I see… Wait, I thought you shared a room with her? Where are you right- Orihime, are you with Ulquiorra?" _

"Oh, no no! He's in the shower-"

_ "In the shower? Orihime, stay away. He's dangerous-" _

"Actually, he's not. He's been very nice, and even bought me the dress for tomorrow's wedding-"

_ "Orihime, he's doing it to manipulate you. Remember how he messed with your mind in Hueco Mundo?" _

"I-I don't think he's doing that. He's changed, and he's helped me a lot in the last year-"

_ "Wait, last year?! Orihime, you've been around him before this trip?" _

Ooops. Orihime groaned as she scratched her head nervously. "Just a couple of dinners… He's been very nice since coming back, and-"

_ "You're suffering from stockholm syndrome, Orihime. And I think you should come back home now before it gets worse. I can buy you a plane ticket back right now, and send you some money so you can get to the airport," _

"Ah, no! Uryu, that's not what's happening. We're just being civil! I'm actually enjoying myself here with him and everyone else-"

_ "Orihime, how would you feel if I were spending time with Loly or Menoly? Remember them and how they tormented you? How would you feel if Ichigo, Rukia, and I were to spend time with them despite knowing what they did to you!?" _

"I...I-"

_ "Exactly, you wouldn't feel happy about it! What you're doing is selfish and-" _

"Uryu, please stop-"

_ "-And hurtful. Is he forcing himself on you?" _

"He's not-"

_ "I doubt that. Ulquiorra should have stayed dead, Orihime. I don't know how he managed to come back, but he should have stayed dead-" _

"Uryu, please don't say things like that. Please stop-"

_ "Why are you defending him? He's probably plotting on getting Aizen out," _

"He's not-"

_ "And how do you know that? He bought you a dress and all of the sudden you trust him?" _

"No, because-"

Before she was even able to finish her sentence, she felt Ulquiorra's long fingers grab her phone and place it near his ear. "You're upsetting her, Quincy. Whatever issue you have with me, we'll settle upon my return. Leave Orihime out of this,"

With that last statement, Ulquiorra disconnected the call and placed her phone away. And even though the act was considered rude, in a way Orihime welcomed it. Maybe talking to Uryu now wasn't a good idea.

His eyes landed on her as his hand cupped the side of her face. There was a silence between the two as he took two silent steps towards her, leaning down until their lips met.

Orihime welcomed his warmth as she tiptoed in order to deepen the kiss. Her stress over the conversation with Uryu vanished as Ulquiorra brought a sense of gratification. The sensual feeling swept through her body before landing near her abdomen area, that tingly feeling between her legs. She may be a virgin, but she knew exactly what she was feeling. It wasn't new for her. She would feel it whenever waking up from a not-so-innocent dream about Ulquiorra. It was one thing waking up feeling aroused from a dream; but it was another thing having the man of your dreams turn you on in seconds with a scorching kiss.

In a gentle move, Ulquiorra pushed her back onto the soft mattress before hovering on top of her. He reclaimed her lips while adjusting himself between her thighs.

The tingle between her legs increased, causing her to move her hips closer to his. The need of wanting him increased with each shift, and in a way she finally understood why some craved it. Her movements affected him too, as she felt Ulquiorra shift slightly above her. The move had her eyes widening as she felt something hard poking the inside of her thigh.

"...I-Is that...What's…?"

She found it hard to concentrate as he nibbled on her neck. Her hands were on the back of his head, feeling his wet tresses, as Ulquiorra's teeth nibbled her. He hit a sensitive spot, causing her back to arch and a desperate moan to escape her half-parted lips.

"Kiss me again...please," she whispered, and he fulfilled her demand.

Their kiss became rougher, but she didn't mind. She remembered what Nel and Rangiku had told her earlier - she was in Vegas with friends who didn't judge her for every decision she made in her life.

The sound of her phone ringing interrupted them, and they stared at each other for a couple of seconds, as if not wanting to lose sight of each other. But eventually Ulquiorra pulled back and grabbed her phone, his emerald eyes narrowing in disdain before putting it away.

"Who was it?"

"The Quincy,"

"Oh… Maybe it's urgent?"

He gave her an incredulous look, and Orihime giggled before realizing that that's probably not the reason why Uryu was calling.

"We should go to sleep," the Espada said before lying next to her.

A sense of disappointment hit her as she watched him close his eyes.

"Wh-What about...um...us? I mean...shouldn't we...finish?"

A single eye opened and Orihime quickly regretted even asking that question. What if he didn't want to make love to her?

"You're not ready for what you're asking for," he said gently, touching the ends of her hair, "Lie next to me,"

Doing as told, she placed her head on his chest while welcoming his warmth. She wanted to ask him why he thought that - was it because of her inexperience? Or the fact that she was human and he wasn't? Would something happen if they had sex?

"Ulquiorra?"

"Hn,"

She wanted to ask him why, but instead smiled and closed her eyes. "Thank you,"

Despite the ache between her legs and wetness pooling by her panties, Orihime was glad that he wasn't rushing her into anything.


	8. Chapter 8

Orihime had never attended a wedding before. The few remaining family members she had married shortly before she was born. But she had seen videos of wedding ceremonies and always thought about how her wedding would be. She would imagine Tatsuki, Chizuru, Nel and Rangiku being her bridesmaids. Ururu would be the flower girl. Urahara would act as the priest. There would be the typical music playing, the old judgemental grannies crying for her while criticizing her not-so-great cooking skills. She won't be able to cook for her husband, they would say as her brother walked her down the aisle before giving her hand towards her husband-to-be, Ulquiorra.

"'Hime, are you listening?" asked a worried Nel as the hair stylist worked on her hair. The female Espada sat in a chair wearing a short white robe.

"Oh, sorry Nel! Did you say something?"

"We were just talking about how you have this goofy look on your face," Rangiku said, wiggling her eyebrows at her, "Thinking about Ulquiorra, hm?"

"No…?"

"Such a terrible liar. Tell us, did you two get it on last night? Did he finally pop your cherry?"

"N-No…" Orihime replied in a nervous tone, "He said that I wasn't ready for that…"

The women in the room gasped, including the hairstylist who was trying her best not to eavesdrop into the conversation.

"Wow, I must admit that I'm surprised,"

"I'm not. Ulquiorra was one of the few males in Hueco Mundo to not let lust and power get the better of him," Nel explained, "Although considering he told you that, I am assuming that you tried to initiate it with him?"

"Well… We kissed...and I thought we would continue, but he said no when I asked,"

"Wow, I'm proud of you for taking the lead," Rankigu said, "And proud of him for being considerate of you. But our vacation is coming to an end soon, and you two should get it on as soon as possible."

"I'm not sure how to start it, though. I don't know what to do,"

"I think you need to start it with a bang," advised her Shinigami friend, "Just undress in front of him. That'll get him turned on,"

"Or just sneak up on him next time he's showering," giggled Nel, "He won't be able to resist you there!"

"But...what would we do? Besides….you know...kissing?"

Nel placed her finger on her chin as her mind went through several scenarios. "Well, you can start by touching him _you know where_,"

"Just make sure you do it gently, first. If he's soft, it may hurt him."

"Good point, Rangiku! And once he gets hard, you can give him a handy!"

"...A handy?"

"A hand job," Rangiku explained, "Start at the base and move your hand up and down,"

"And you can spit on it, too. It'll help in case there's any friction,"

"A-And don't forget the balls too!"

The three of them stared at the shy hair stylist, whose face was red despite wanting to add the last piece of advice. Rangiku gave the woman a thumbs up.

"She's right! How could we forget!? Definitely don't forget his balls,"

"So I just move my hand up and down…?"

"Yes. You should practice on a banana or something."

Orihime wondered if there were any bananas around the home. She could practice in the bathroom, but then that would look awkward if anyone walked in on her.

"So after I do that to him...what should I do next?"

"Well, two things," Rangiku explained, "He could either cum and that's the end of it. Or, you can get on your knees and give him a blow job,"

"Just make sure you kneel on the rug and not on the floor. It's much more comfortable,"

Orihime's eyes darted from Nel to Rangiku as she thought about doing such acts with Ulquiorra. She knew that people always did more during sex, but she never thought about what those acts would or could be. She assumed that there would be some kissing, followed by penetration. Would it be better to start with some oral first?

"And don't use your teeth," Rangiku added afterwards while putting on her high heels, "It'll hurt them,"

The human girl nodded slightly, her mind still wrapping around her pleasing Ulquiorra.

The sound of loud knocking had them all flinching, and Rangiku groaned as she strolled over to the door. "What is it, Grimmjow?"

"Open up. I have a situation,"

Rangiku opened the door slightly and looked up at the Espada. "What is it?"

"My fucking pants ripped."

"How bad is it?"

Rolling his eyes, Grimmjow turned around and showed her the wide opening by his bottom. The rip was at least five inches wide in diameter, and Rangiku knew that this wouldn't be a simple fix.

"How could they have ripped if you bought them yesterday- Wait, Grimmjow did you try these on when you bought them?"

The Espada gave a groan and a shrug, and Rangiku sighed. "Figures! They don't fit you at all. You'll need to get a new pair asap. I can't go; I need to be here to help Nel. Orihime, go with Grimmjow and make sure this time he buys the right pants!"

"You're having the Princess babysit me?"

"Yes, unless you want to get married with your purple boxers showing!"

Grimmjow glared at her before backing away from the door as a smiling Orihime appeared.

"Rangiku, where should we go for another pair?"

"Try the same store as yesterday, they should have more sizes. But please be quick! We need to be at the chapel in one hour!"

Orihime nodded before turning her focus to Grimmjow. "Will we make it in time with traffic?"

"What, you think I'm driving them? Pfft, hold on,"

The girl squealed as Grimmjow threw her over his shoulder.

"W-Wait, Grimmjow! This dress is kinda short-"

"Hold on so you don't fall. Don't worry, Ulquiorra! I'll bring her back in one piece!"

She wanted to glance at the green eyed man, but didn't get the chance to as everything became blurry the moment the blue haired Espada used Sonido.

* * *

For whatever reason, the mall was extremely crowded. Shoppers everywhere hauled various shopping bags in their hands as stores announced the latest and greatest deals.

Grimmjow landing in the middle of the store with an orange-haired girl over his shoulder caused everyone to jump back in shock.

"H-How did he do that?"

"D-Did he just appear out of thin air?! His pants are ripped!"

"Who cares how he showed up! Look at the babe he's carrying!"

Ignoring the comments from those nearby, Orihime rushed towards the cashier as soon as Grimmjow put her down.

"Good morning sir! My friend here needs a pair of black slacks."

"Sure, anything for you lovely lady. What size is he?"

"Uh..um… Grimmjow, what size are you?"

The Espada shrugged, "Don't know. I usually let Nel pick these things."

"Well, we can measure him. Step this way sir,"

Grimmjow followed the much shorter man towards the back of the store as Orihime patiently waited outside. She was about to grab her phone and call Rangiku for a checkup, but gasped upon realizing that she had forgotten to grab it.

"Hey beautiful. What are you doing here dressed like that all by yourself?"

Orihime glanced at the blonde man standing next to her, his brown eyes roaming up and down her body as he leaned closer.

"I'm not alone, my friend is here! He's just getting measured up,"

"Friend, huh? So I take it that a girl like you is single? No man waiting at home for you?"

"Uh.. w-well-"

"I take it as you don't have someone at home-"

"Oh she does, and trust me you don't want to deal with him," came Grimmjow's rough voice as he placed a hand on the short man's shoulder.

The male human turned around and met Grimmjow's icy blue eyes, nodding slowly before walking away.

"Pathetic," Grimmjow mumbled underneath his breath before turning back to Orihime, "Ulquiorra needs to put a collar on you. You attract way too much attention,"

"Not my fault," she mumbled back, "Did you get measured?"

"Yeah. He's in the back looking for something my size. How much time do we have until the wedding?"

"I don't know. I left my phone back home,"

"Crap, so did I…"

"Well, we should have at least half an hour by now! Hopefully the man will have your pants ready in the next few minutes-"

"Oh, there you are!" the short man appeared, gasping for air as he ran towards them, "I looked everywhere and unfortunately, I no longer have slacks your size. I do have enough fabric in the back, so I can sew something together by the next seven days-"

Grimmjow grabbed the short man by his collared shirt and lifted him up, causing him to panic.

"Listen, I don't have seven fucking days. I'm going to get married in thirty minutes and need pants now!"

"I-I g-get it…. B-But I'll still need more than half an hour to sew something up! Unfortunately, I sold my last pair of pants in your size to that man over there!"

Orihime and Grimmjow turned their heads and saw a brown haired man walking out of the store. The man wore a gray gym tank top and shorts, and was easily six feet tall.

Dropping the store owner, Grimmjow walked over towards the retreating man. Orihime followed closely after apologizing to the traumatized owner, making sure that her blue-haired friend wouldn't do anything stupid.

"Oi," Grimmjow called, and the man turned around. "I believe you have something I want,"

"Is that so?" the man replied, "And what would that be?"

"The fucking pants. Hand them over,"

The man chuckled, "The pants I just purchased? Pretty strange request here. Nonetheless, sorry but can't do. Now if you would excuse me, I have to-"

As the man turned his back towards them, Grimmjow grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back roughly. The pressure around the room suddenly began to feel heavy.

"G-Grimmjow, please don't hurt him," Orihime pleaded, worried that someone from Soul Society would take notice and show up. She didn't want Nel's day to be ruined.

"Oh, I won't hurt him," the Espada said, enjoying how the human male struggled to breath, "Not as long as he gives me those pants,"

The man gruntled and tried to move, but couldn't as the pressure increased. It felt as if something was pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breath.

"H-Here...t-take it…" he eventually said, dropping the bag onto the floor.

Grimmjow lowered his Reiatsu and grabbed the bag, taking a hold of Orihime's arm. "Let's go,"

"Wait! You need to try them first!"

"Crap,"

With a curse, the Espada trailed towards the back of the store, uncaring about the glances that everyone and the store owner were giving him. After three minutes, he appeared with a satisfactory smirk.

"Alright Princess, let's go,"

"OK! You do know the address, right?"

Grimmjow stared blankly at her and Orihime slapped her forehead. Neither of them remembered which exact chapel the wedding was at, and there were over fifty of them in Las Vegas.

* * *

Rangiku felt Nel's discomfort as they sat in the back of the chapel. The wedding was to start in two minutes, and Grimmjow hadn't arrived. The Shinigami tried Orihime's cell phone several times, but no answer.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon!" Rangiku said, placing a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder. "Give me a couple of minutes. Let me go talk to Ulquiorra,"

After Nel gave her a silent nod, Rangiku exited the room and walked over to the Fourth Espada.

"Ulquiorra, can you sense either of them? Nel is becoming very worried,"

"They are near," Ulquiorra said, his green eyes closing for a second. "They should be here now,"

Just as he finished his sentence, Grimmjow appeared with a bewildered Orihime. The human stumbled a bit as her consciousness finally recognized where she was.

"You finally made it!" Randiku said, "Grimmjow, the wedding starts now. Go out there and stand next to the priest! And fix your tie!"

Grumbling under his breath, the Espada fixed his tie as he rushed towards the podium where an older man stood. A generic wedding song started to play.

"Nel, Grimmjow's back! Come,"

The female Espada came out of the room holding a small set of flowers. Gin extended his arm towards her and she gladly accepted it, butterflies forming in her stomach as her special day was about to begin. The two waited behind the closed doors as Rangiku, Orihime, and Ulquiorra stood by the seating area.

The song changed and the doors opened, revealing a smiling Nel and typical-grinning Gin. With slow steps, Gin walked the female down the aisle and towards her future husband.

"She looks so beautiful!"

"I know! I hope I look this beautiful when I get married,"

"I'm sure you will, Rangiku," Orihime said in response, her eyes remaining on the elegance that Nel brought. Her hazel-brown eyes met Ulquiorra's as he kept his eyes on her. She gave him a slight smile. And although he didn't smile back, he grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Gin and Nel reached the front and the music slowly faded away. The Shinigami handed her over to Grimmjow, who held her hand as she stood in front of him.

The man cleared his throat as he began to speak. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony," he turned his attention towards Grimmjow, "Grimmjow, do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love her, to honor her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

"Fuck yeah I do,"

The man, shocked at his response, cleared his throat. "Nelliel, do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love him, to honor him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Nel said, her olive-green eyes shining brightly into that of her soon to be husband's.

Orihime watched as they exchanged vows before placing the rings in each other's fingers.

"You may kiss the bride," the man ended.

They all expected Grimmjow to pull and kiss her roughly, throw her over his shoulder and use Sonido to get them out of there in order to get under her skirt. But instead, the sixth Espada gave his new wife a gentle smile while grabbing the bottom of her chin.

"I love you, Nelliel," he said gently, softly placing his lips against hers.

Gin and Orihime clapped as Rangiku wiped a tear rolling down her face. Ulquiorra simply stood there with his hands in his pockets, his eyes not restraining from the sun-haired girl standing next to him with a wide smile on her face.

The kiss broke, yet Grimmjow's hands stayed holding her face. He kissed her forehead, whispering something in her ear before holding her hand. The man gave them several documents to sign: proof of marriage. Afterwards, Gin and Rangiku signed them as their witnesses.

The group excited the chapel with the documents in hand.

"Well, I will see you all in two days!"

"Wait, where are you going?" Orihime asked.

"Our honeymoon, of course! Grimmy and I are going to Los Angeles and stay by the beach!"

"That's wonderful! Are you...flying there? Is it far?"

"Not with Sonido," Grimmjow replied.

"We'll be back before our flight back to Karakura, don't worry." Nel added.

Orihime understood their wish in spending time alone, even if it was just for two days. They were now husband and wife, and she couldn't help but feel genuinely happy for them. She waved at them as they departed for their short trip. Soon after, Gin and Rangiku left too. They wanted to take advantage of other casinos before their trip was over. This left Ulquiorra and her standing outside the chapel alone.

"So," Orihime said while looking up at him, "What would you like to do?"

"I have nothing in mind. We shall do whatever you prefer."

"Hmm… How about the Hoover Dam? I read that it has scenic views!"

"As you wish," he said, grabbing her hand and guiding her towards the back of the chapel where he parked the SUV.

The way he held her hand made her grin sheepishly. This was the same Ulquiorra who took her to Hueco Mundo, something that changed her life forever. To see him become glenter with each interaction made her nervous, yet excited about what the future would hold.

The drive was nearly an hour long, with nothing but wide roads and rocks around. The difference between the location and what she was used to in Karakura town amazed her, and she couldn't help but admire the view through the car window.

Upon reaching their destination and parking the car, the pair walked towards the railing. Lowering her tight dress to ensure it didn't ride up, she stepped over the lowest railing and glanced at the bright view ahead of her. The sunny weather made the water look bluer. Wanting to see more, she stepped over the second railing but slipped. Before her body tilted over, long arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back. Her back hit his chest, his arms then wrapping around her.

"Your clumsiness will one day get you injured," Ulquiorra whispered into her ear.

"But you'll be there to save me, right?" she teased in return, earning a raised eyebrow from him.

"I suppose so,"

She giggled as her attention went back to the view in front of them. She touched the side of her dress upon realizing that she still didn't have her phone with her.

"What's wrong?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I left my phone at home. I want to take pictures of this,"

Unwrapping an arm, he dug into his pocket before taking his out and giving it to her. She stared wide-eyed at his phone, realizing that this was the first time she would be using it. She knew that he had one, considering they had been texting and meeting up several times. But using it was another thing.

She held the phone carefully as she pressed on the Camera app. His phone's camera was surprisingly facing them. As she looked goofily into the camera, Ulquiorra's focus was towards the view in front of them. Considering that she didn't have any pictures of them together, Orihime quickly pressed on the silver circular button, quickly taking the picture of them. She pressed it again, changing her facial expressions with each shot. Ulquiorra eventually noticed what she was doing and actually softened his gaze, the closest thing she would see to him smiling. Taking advantage, she took several more pictures.

"Sorry, I wanted some pictures of us. I actually don't have any pictures of you. I can send these to myself and then delete them from your phone, if you don't want them. You must not be comfortable having pictures of us like this,"

"And what led you to that conclusion?"

"Uh...um… Well, I'm not sure what you think of us being together...I mean, being together _together_… Like in-"

"A romantic relationship?" he asked into her ear, one of his hands resting by her hip.

She nodded, her heart thumping loud. Even though he was in a Gigai, she knew that he must feel her heart beating rapidly.

"What is it that you wish, Orihime? What would you like us to be?"

"I would like to...be more than your friend...if you allow me to. But if you don't want that, I-I understand! I'm human, at the end of the day… and I know that you don't like...us…"

"You are correct about one thing," Ulquiorra started, "I do find humans intolerable. However, I must admit that your innocence has made my attempts oblivious to you,"

"Attempts?" she wondered, turning around to face him.

His eyes showed raw emotion as he leaned down until his forehead touched hers, "Seems as if I should have been more explicit with my actions,"

The way his eyes narrowed had her curiosity increase. Even though he hadn't said the words yet, she knew what was coming and couldn't help but grin ridiculously as he spoke.

"You have captivated my interest the moment I stepped onto this world. Something awoken within, something I had not felt in centuries,"

"Wh-What?" she asked, searching his deep green eyes for answers.

"Desire….affection… curiosity… You brought all of that back. I needed to know more about you..from you. Each day your presence remained in Hueco Mundo made this impeccable. Your heart belonged to Kurosaki Ichigo, yet I felt a pull towards you. It was only after my defeat that I realized what it was; and it drove me in finding you upon my re-awakening,"

Orihime could feel her tears swelling up as she remembered those days in Hueco Mundo. She felt something for him. Not love, but some type of curiosity as well. As if she wanted to know more about him, spend more time with him. Even if it meant she would do all the talking and he would just listen. The moment her hand went through his deteriorating one was when she realized that there could have been more between them. She wasn't sure, but a huge sense of loss had swept through her chest as he had turned into ash. She kept the feeling a secret, afraid of what her friends would think of her. She always wondered why Ulquiorra reached out to her, but now she knew why. He felt it too…

"You came here...made a living here...so you could be with me?"

"Yes," he replied, "Human emotions will always be a mystery to me, but I am positive in how I feel about you."

She allowed a tear to roll down her face, and Ulquiorra wiped it away with his thumb. "I am also aware of your emotions and how it vastly differs than the typical human,"

Orihime giggled at that, "I-I can't help it. It's happy tears! I never expected you to open up to me,"

"I know, which is why I am telling you."

"Does this mean that...I'm your girlfriend?"

The right corner of his lips twitched slightly, something that she noticed before he replied. "It seems so,"

Beaming like a teenager, she jumped on him with her arms wrapped around his neck. Ulquiorra held her tightly as her feet dangled about a foot off the ground, his mind going back to how it all started - the day Aizen had sent him to Karakura town the first time.

The couple stayed at the Hoover Dam for another hour before stopping by a gift shop. He bought her a necklace with a heart shaped pendulum, and she wore it proudly throughout the rest of the day.

In the evening, they had a romantic dinner and afterwards went back to their rental home. Even though Nel and Grimmjow were away for their short honeymoon, Orihime spent the night in Ulquiorra's room. Wearing her newly-bought necklace, she laid on his bed as he turned off the bedroom lights.

The butterflies in her stomach fluttered as she felt the mattress move as he lied next to her. There was silence between the two of them as he captured her lips with his, starting a heated makeout session that led to her wanting more desperately. She knew that she wasn't the only one wanting more. His hardness teased her core as he shifted between her legs, causing her to rub herself against him as her hands rubbed his naked back. Temporarily separating himself from her, he grabbed her arms and pulled her forward in order to remove the oversized t-shirt she wore. Large breasts out and wearing nothing but her thin panties, Orihime was pushed back against the mattress as Ulquiorra hovered over her again. His mouth was on her neck, biting her hard as if to claim her. And just as he did that, her trembling hands grabbed the top of his long pajama pants before sliding it down ever so slightly.

The move caused the Fourth Espada to stop and whisper to her gently, "You're not ready for that, Orihime,"

"Can we please try? I think I am,"

"I can sense your hesitation,"

"Let's just try….please?"

Even in the dark, she could see his beautiful eyes as he mumbled a 'very well' before lowering his slacks even more. For some reason, she looked up at the ceiling instead of his private area. Not because she wanted to give him the privacy - but because she knew that if she looked at it, it would make her feel more nervous than how she was.

Lying between her parted legs, Ulquiorra's thin finger pulled the piece of fabric covering her sex to the side, causing her eyes to widen. She had assumed that he would have taken her underwear off, but clearly found a way to still get the deed done.

"Tell me if it hurts. I will stop," he said, moving his hips upward as the top of his cock met the outside of her vaginal wall.

Trying to keep her nerves down, Orihime nodded as she felt his member slowly going in. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she suddenly found it very uncomfortable, his thickness stretching her in ways she didn't imagine. Her eyes widened as her legs stiffened, and she bit her bottom lip.

Ulquiorra sensed her discomfort and stopped, gently pulling away. "You're not ready,"

"W-Wait, I just need to get used to it-"

"You're dry," he commented after pulling his pants upward, "Dryness creates more friction, and therefore will be more uncomfortable for you,"

"B-but-"

"We'll proceed when you're ready," he said, lying next to her with an arm wrapped around her waist.

Fixing her panties, she pulled the covers towards her chest and stared at the ceiling. She knew that her body had been eager for the experience - but as soon as Ulquiorra started entering, she panicked. She knew that part of her nervousness was the potential pain and bleeding. What if it was too painful? Or if she bled a lot?

"Orihime," Ulquiorra said, pulling her closer to him, "Do not over think it,"

"Aren't you mad?"

"No,"

"But, you also...wanted it…"

"Yes, but not if you aren't ready. Now relax and sleep, woman. We'll try again when you want us to,"

Smiling as she held onto the necklace he bought her, Orihime laid her head on his chest and felt herself go to sleep.


	9. The Night

The following day was spent hiking, and Orihime quickly figured out she was not a hiking person. They woke up early and decided to go to Red Rock Canyon, which was nothing by dry desert-like land. At first it seemed cool, she had never seen so much sand before (except for Hueco Mundo, of course. But that was a different story). She would stand at the edge of some rocks, noticing how Ulquiorra would tense whenever she did so, and stare at the vast valley in front of them.

Wearing shorts, a white t-shirt and sneakers, she would run from one point to another as Ulquiorra silently followed her. As she took pictures of the interesting land with her phone, she failed to notice how Ulquiorra seemingly took pictures of her. The sunlight made her hair shine even brighter, captivating his attention. Her beauty, prominent as always, against the bright sun brought a goddess-like aura. It always shone through the darkness in his heart, leaving him wondering at times in the past of what to even do.

But now that he knew that her heart synced with his, he knew that this was just the first step in claiming her and erasing any fear or doubt she had about him.

As afternoon hit and the temperature increased, causing the sun to become unbearable, they headed back to the rental home for a brief afternoon nap before going back out for food and eventually a nightclub.

The nightclub had been her idea, of course, and Ulquiorra knew partly why she wanted to go.

To say that her actions tortured him was an understatement. He was always one to maintain composure and control. But with the way she swayed her hips against him, right at the center of his crotch, Ulquiorra knew that he was in trouble. And the short skirt Rangiku lent her wasn't making things easier. It would ride up, inch by inch, showing more of her milky white thighs.

He noticed the way others stared at her, men daring to glare at him. And while Ulquiorra didn't let those glares faze him, he considered how lucky they were not knowing what he truly was.

Later that night, things became more intense between the two.

Orihime, remembering Rangiku's advice on surprising him, had taken her clothes off and entered the shower while he had been in there. Ulquiorra hadn't even bothered asking what she was doing. Instead, he had pulled her tightly and kissed her roughly, letting her know that her flirtatious actions had tortured him.

They had a heated kiss before her trembling hand grabbed his rising cock, surprising the Espada. Ulquiorra simply stared at her as slowly moved her hands up and down, causing soft groans to escape his closed lips. He had nuzzled her neck, nibbling it gently, as she increased her pace, making sure not to do it too roughly.

Despite her wrist hurting, Orihime had continued. Minutes later, she felt a slight tremble from him as the white liquid released onto her hands. A smile of accomplishment had edged on her face as he looked at her, his facial expression calm.

"You are a troublesome woman," he had said, pulling her closer as the water of the shower splashed her head.

His hand had then touched the ache between her legs. His finger touched her clitoris, causing her body to tremble and eyes to close. Afterwards, it lingered near her vaginal wall, gently inserting one. The act had her closing her thighs promptly, and Ulquiorra looked at her.

"S-Sorry...it just feels...awkward… I'm sorry, Ulquiorra,"

"Do not apologize," had been his response, pulling his hand back and kissing her forehead.

After they finished their shower (there had been no more distractions from Orihime's side), they went to sleep. As usual, his arms were around her as she slept with a smile on her face.

The following day was everyone's final day in Las Vegas, and Orihime woke up determined.

It had been a while since she had nightmares; but last night she had woken up at three am with her heart beating rapidly. She had inadvertently woken Ulquiorra up as well, who asked her what the issue was.

Embarrassed in telling him what it was, she lied and mentioned that she had a nightmare that her red bean paste had gone missing. Too tired to even respond to that, Ulquiorra had told her to go back to sleep.

But she couldn't as her mind cruelly replayed the nightmare, causing discomfort and uneasiness to grow in her heart. She could feel the jealousy boil within her as she rethought every detail, telling herself that Ulquiorra would never do such a thing. He would never betray her like that…

That day, she planned on telling Rangiku about the awkward dream after another day of activities. It was already evening as the two females sat together in the living room.

"What did you dream about?" the Shinigami asked.

"Well...it started….fine… I saw Ulquiorra…"

"Mhmm, OK?"

"He was on the bed...naked…"

"Oh, this is getting interesting-"

"Having sex with Loly-"

"What!? Wait, was she the blonde or brunette?"

"Brunette...she was much...meaner to me…"

"Ugh, cheating bastard… But don't worry, it was just a dream. He cheated on you in your dreams. He needs to give you flowers for that now,"

"What should I do? He knows something's wrong. He knows me too well,"

"Just tell him the truth. He'll probably brush it off but considering he sees that you're bothered by it, maybe he'll say something to make you feel better,"

"Probably," Orihime mumbled, "But...Ulquiorra's much older than me… What if he did sleep with her? Maybe years ago… Not for love or anything...but…"

"Well, you can ask him who he's slept with before, but I don't think you should dwell on it. Ulquiorra's not human. He comes from a different species, and I doubt Ulquiorra has loved anyone before meeting you. So while the dream was terrible, that's what it all was - a bad dream,"

"You're right. It just felt so real,"

"And made you feel jealous, of course. Why with Loly, though? Have you been thinking about your time in Hueco Mundo lately?"

"Not necessarily. Uryu just made a comment last time I spoke with him, about how it wouldn't be right if he hung out with Loly and Menoly despite knowing how much they've hurt me. In a way, he is right. It would hurt me,"

"I can also understand why that would bother you, but one thing you have to realize is that Uryu is saying that mostly because of how he feels about you. He's upset that you're choosing Ulquiorra over him. In his mind, he must be wondering why you're making that choice, so he's throwing these comments at you to make you feel guilty. Ulquiorra will always be a Hollow, that won't change. But he's not a threat, and you should enjoy your time with him. Are you having fun spending time with him here?"

"Yes, I am! It feels nice to be with him and not worry about judgment,"

Rangiku nodded to that, feeling like a proud older sister. She knew that if those two remained in Karakura Town, their relationship would've never started.

"That's great! Have you two taken things forward?"

Rangiku saw the blush on her face and smirked.

"Kinda...but I get nervous and we end up not doing...it,"

"Is he not gentle?"

"He is, actually. But I get nervous about the pain...and...what if I'm not good enough? What if he doesn't enjoy it?"

"It's your first time, it's OK to have these doubts. But I reassure you that after a couple of times, these things won't come to mind and you'll enjoy it. How about a little alcohol to calm the nerves?"

"Would that work? What if I get drunk?"

"You won't," The Shinigami said, pulling a tequila bottle and two shot glasses. Opening the bottle, she poured the liquid into each glass.

Orihime gulped as Rangiku gave her one of the glasses. She knew she was a lightweight, and it would take less than four ounces for her to start feeling the effects of the drink.

"Alright in three….two...one!"

Rangiku took the shot as Orihime slowly sipped hers, crunching her face as the liquid burned her throat.

"Oh, don't make that face. Here, have more. Now in three, two, one!"

Again, Orihime took her second sip, placing the glass as soon as she was finished and lying back on the sofa.

"Feeling relaxed?"

A goofy smile appeared on the human's face. "Y-Yes,"

"Good. Now, you shouldn't feel nervous having sex with Ulquiorra. Let's get you in the mood. What's the naughtiest thing you've thought about him?"

Orihime began to hum and Rangiku laughed at her. She expected her to contradict her; tell her that she doesn't think of such things. But watching as Orihime thought about it made her realize that the human girl wasn't as innocent as initially thought.

"W-Well...I did have one dream...where...um...he was in his second release form-"

"Is that the one where he's half naked and has a tail?"

"Y-Yeah,"

"OK, continue,"

"...And...we're...doing...it…"

Rangiku's eyes widened, her jaw nearly dropping to the floor. "Orihime, that's very kinky! Why in that form and not in human form?"

"W-Well...I actually find him attractive in his second release… After that dream, I've thought about doing it with him...like that…. Is this weird?"

Rangiku shook her head slowly as she calmed her laughter, "Well, no… I mean, regardless of how he looks it's still the same Ulquiorra. I just find it interesting that it's coming from you! You can't take him looking like a human, yet you fantasize about him doing you in his release form?"

"You're right…"

"You're going to have to start simple if you want to get to the point where you two are having sex in the way you like. Tell me, what about his second release turns you on?"

Orihime gave a slight shrug as she looked at the ceiling, "His eyes...they look...mysterious...and beautiful. And his long hair….he's taller...colder. In my dream, he used his tail to hold me down before….you know…"

"Never knew you were into bondage," Rangiku teased, "But no harm in that! Each to their own. Would you ever want to do it...like that...with him?"

She gave a slow nod, keeping her face hidden as her face turned redder.

"Well, if you want to get to that point with him...you're going to have to start simple and have sex with him while he's in a Gigai. If you can't handle his dick now, how're you going to handle it when he's physically different?"

Orihime's eyes widened as she thought about it, realizing that Rangiku was right. Even if Ulquiorra OK'd the idea of having sexual intercourse with her while in his second release, how would she handle it if she could barely handle him looking like a human. With the fact that tonight was her last night, she knew that she would have to make the decision sooner than later. While sex could technically wait weeks or even months later, she knew that she probably wouldn't get a chance to spend such intimate time with him. She already knew that her friends would be by her home the moment she landed.

Making her mind up, Orihime grabbed the shot glass. "Pour me a third round,"

Rangiku winked at her, "That's my girl,"

After taking her third shot, Orihime waved at her friend before heading up the stairs to the second floor and towards Ulquiorra's room.

* * *

As usual, his bedroom door was opened. Quietly, she entered and closed the door from behind, her eyes catching sight of him as he stood by the window while talking on the phone.

"It's in the afternoon," he said.

She stood next to him, grinning as he pulled her towards him. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she heard Grimmjow's voice from the other end and giggled as Ulquiorra sighed.

"I'm busy now, Grimmjow,"

_ "Wait, I'm not done-" _

Ulquiorra disconnected the call and placed the phone on the dresser, his eyes looking down at her as she gave him a smile. His eyes narrowed immediately.

"You've been drinking,"

"Just a little. I'm not drunk, though. Just...happy,"

"I can see that,"

She wasn't sure how to tell him what she wanted, the word sex felt dirty against her tongue. But she would show him what she wanted. Grabbing the top button of his slacks, she tiptoed and kissed his lips. He didn't stop her from unbuttoning his pants as his tongue swept intently against hers. Once the button was undone and his zipper was lowered, Orihime yelped as Ulquiorra lifted her upwards and pushed her against the wall, her legs frantically wrapping around his waist.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Orihime," he whispered, "I've been far too patient with you while you get away with your games,"

Her shirt came off, thrown on the floor as the intensity of his emerald eyes captivated her.

"I-I'm not playing any games," she said, purposely adding more fuel to the fire. "You must be seeing things that aren't there, Ulquiorra."

His face turned dangerously cold, reminding her of the time Ichigo had labeled him as human during the battle. He had not taken the comment lightly at all. Before she knew it, her back was on the mattress and his lips were on her neck, biting hard.

"You forget what I am, foolish girl,"

"I haven't," she looked up at him, brushing his hair with her fingers, "You're a Hollow, and I am a human. I want this, Ulquiorra. Tonight… With you…"

His expression turned soft, his thumb touching her lips.

With such gentleness, he kissed her lips. It was a heated one, filled with so much passion that Orihime didn't want it to ever end. The way his lips moved against hers, his hands touching her naked slim waist, made her feel protected and cherished. Cherished by someone who wasn't human.

His kisses trailed down her chest as his hands pulled down her shorts and panties all together, discarding the items before lying between her thighs. The fabric of his slacks and boxers teased her very core, even as she felt the hardness of his member through them. The tingle between her thighs became more prominent, and she became desperate for more. Her bra was discarded moments later, freeing up her large breasts.

"Fascinating," he whispered, hovering over them before placing a tender kiss on her right perky nipple.

"D-Do that a-again,"

The frequency of her pants increased with each lick, causing her back to arch more and more as the sweet pleasure he provided continued to build up. Her hands grasped the sheets underneath as he left her now-wet nipple in order to pull his slacks and boxers down, freeing his cock.

Orihime stared at his erect member, biting her lip as she watched him crawl back on top of her.

"Feel my heart," he said, placing her hand over his chest.

The sun-haired girl felt its rapid beat, and she looked into his eyes.

"You are the reason my heart beats,"

One slow movement of his hips, and his cocked pushed two inches in. Her legs stiffened, and he kissed her lips, bringing comfortness to her. She relaxed again.

"You are my sun,"

Another movement, and another three inches in. Orihime touches the side of his face as her heart swells by his words.

"I'm in love with you, Orihime Inoue,"

He pushed his cock fully inside, her moans filling the room as he thrusted in and out. She was very tight, and he kissed her gently as he saw the pain across her face. He analyzed her facial expression as he thrusted slowly, her tight walls grasping him. He shifted his body, his cock rubbing the right spot within her. Her face relaxed as her pleasurable moans rocked the room.

Ulquiorra's thrusts became faster, rougher. He felt himself nearing, felt the dark soul within his Hollow heart wanting to claim more than just her body. Her soul too. But he wouldn't do that to her. He would protect her, always, from everyone; including himself and dark desires.

"Ul-Ulquiorra..I'm...I think...I'm…"

He could feel her body tensing, reading for its release, as was his. He held her tightly, kissing the side of her face.

"Come, Orihime. I'll always be here...with you…"

Several thrusts later and she orgasmed, screaming his name loudly as she grabbed onto his arms and buried her face onto the crook of his neck.

He ejaculated inside of her shortly after, groaning as he captured her lips.

The Espada shifted and laid next to her, wrapping an arm around her as they felt a calm atmosphere, filled with nothing but love, unite them. Orihime pulled the sheets over their bodies, her thighs sticky and wet. They kissed for a short period of time before going to sleep.

* * *

Grimmjow and Nel used Sonido to return back to Las Vegas, Nel bringing presents for everyone.

"How was the beach?" Rangiku asked, enjoying the pearls given to her by her Espada friend.

"It was beautiful! The water was clear as day, and the sun as bright as ever! I have never seen such a beautiful beach before!"

"Hm, maybe we should make that our next vacation?" Rangiku said, sitting on Gin's lap.

"Ah, but indeed,"

"Where is Orihime?" Nel asked, "I got her this cute purse. I think she'll like it,"

Rangiku pointed upwards while answering, "Probably upstairs with Ulquiorra,"

Grimmjow smirked, "Are they finally getting it-"

The four of them paused as they felt Orhime's Reaitsu spike, Ulquiorra's name being heard throughout the rental home. Ulquiorra's own Reaitsu spiked shortly after, leaving the group of four friends smirking amongst each other.

"Well," Gin said while pouring whiskey to all of them, "I think it's safe to say….mission accomplished!"


End file.
